The Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939: A Strategic Alliance

Tensions between the United States and its unlikely ally in the Soviet Union persisted throughout World War II. Western Allied leaders did not forget the historic nonaggression pact signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, which raised suspicions and concerns about the true intentions of Stalin's regime.

Despite being sworn ideological enemies, Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union put aside their vast differences to sign a nonaggression pact in August 1939. This pact, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ensured that the two countries would not attack each other or support aggressive third powers, effectively dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence between them.

Eighty years ago, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed not to attack each other, a move that allowed Hitler to focus on his plans for conquering Western Europe without the fear of a two-front war. This strategic alliance shocked the international community and reshaped the geopolitical landscape of Europe in the lead-up to World War II.

The August 1939 pact ensured the German attack against Great Britain and Western Europe. It also convinced Hitler that Russia was vulnerable and that an invasion of the Soviet Union would be swift and successful, leading to the eventual betrayal of Stalin by launching Operation Barbarossa in June 1941.

For the Russians, May 9, 1945, marked the end of the Second World War in Europe, a day that is celebrated every year as Victory Day. However, the Soviet Union's role in arming and supporting Nazi Germany in the early stages of the war cannot be overlooked, as they ultimately became one of Hitler's worst victims.

In desperate times, the enemy of your enemy becomes your friend. During World War II, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union formed a fragile alliance to defeat the common threat of Nazi Germany. While the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939 may have been a temporary strategic move, it had far-reaching consequences for the course of the war and the postwar world order.