Timeline of Soviet Foreign Policy, 1928-1941

Recommended by Dr. Alastair Kocho-Williams, Senior Lecturer in History, University of the West of England.

1928: ‘Third Period’ launched; doctrine of Social Fascism

1929: USSR signs Kellog-Briand Pact

Sept 1934: USSR joins league of Nations

May 1935: Pacts with France and Czechoslovakia

August 1935: Comintern supports Popular Fronts

1936 – 1939: Spanish Civil War

Nov 1936: Anti-Comintern pact of Germany & Japan (Italy signs 1937)

Sep 1938: Munich Conference (USSR excluded)

April 1939: Litvinov proposes triple Military alliance – Britain, France and USSR

May 1939: Litvinov dismissed; Molotov becomes Foreign Commissar

August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Pact concluded

June 1941: Germany invades USSR

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Further Reading re 'Stalin's ForeignPolicy'

Recommended by Dr. Alastair Kocho-Williams, Senior Lecturer in History, University of the West of England.

Boyce, R and Maiolo, J (eds). The Origins of World War Two: the Debate Continues

Carr, E.H. German-Soviet Relations between the Two World Wars

Godoretsky, G. (ed). Soviet Foreign Policy in Perspective, 1917-1991


Haslam, J. The Soviet Union and the Struggle for Collective Security in Europe, 1933-39

Hochman, J. The Soviet Union and the Failure of Collective Security, 1934-1938


Nation, R.C., Black Earth, Red Star: A history of Soviet Security Policy, 1917-1992

Ragsdale, H. The Soviets, the Munich Crisis and the Coming of World War II

Roberts, G. The Soviet Union and the Origins of the Second World War: Russo-German

Relations and the Road to War, 1933-1941


Roberts, G. The Unholy Alliance: Stalin's Pact with Hitler

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Further Reading re 'Russia, Germany & the Alliance System: 1872 -1914'

Recommended by Dr. Alastair Kocho-Williams, Senior Lecturer in History, University of the West of England.

Bridge, F. and Bullen, R. The Great Powers and the European States System 1814-1914

Geiss, I. German Foreign Policy, 1870-1914

Geyer, D. Russian Imperialism, 1860-1914

Hildebrand, K. German Foreign Policy from Bismarck to Adenauer

Kennan, G. The Fateful Alliance: France Russia and the Coming of the First World War

Lieven, D. C. B. Russia and the Origins of the First World War

Lowe, J. The Great Powers, Imperialism and the German Problem, 1865-1925

Mackenzie, D. Imperial Dreams, Harsh Realities: Tsarist Russia's Foreign Policy 1815-1917

Langer, W. European Alliances and Alignments, 1871-90

Langer, W. The Franco-Russian Alliance

Taylor, A. J. P. The Struggle for Mastery of Europe

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The Alliance System 1872-1914: Timeline

Compiled by Dr. Alastair Kocho-Williams, Senior Lecturer in History, University of the West of England.

1872: Three Emperors’ League (Dreikaiserbund)
- Germany - Austro-Hungary - Russia
- Reconciliation of Austria and Germany
- Reconciliation of Austria and Russia

1873: Military Convention for mutual defence (Russia & Germany); Schonbrunn Convention (Russia & Austria)

1879: Dual Alliance
- Germany - Austro-Hungary
- 5 Years
- Against Russia- Isolates France

1881: Dreikaiserbund renewed
- Germany - Austro-Hungary – Russia
- Mutual defence
- Prevention of Austro-Russian conflict in Balkans
- Allows for Austrian annexation of Bosnia if deemed necessary

1882: Triple Alliance
- Germany - Austro-Hungary - Italy

1887: Reinsurance Treaty
- Germany – Russia
- 3 Years
- Does not apply in war against France or Austria
- Incompatible with Triple Alliance – not renewed in 1890

1890: Reinsurance Treaty not renewed
- Bismarck dismissed
- German shift to Weltpolitik and creation of Schlieffen Plan to deal with war against France and Russia

- 1894: Franco-Russian Alliance
- Directed against Triple Alliance powers
- Duration as Triple Alliance
- France becomes Russia’s main creditor allowing for the expansion of industry, railways and armaments

1904: Entente Cordiale
- France - Britain

1907: Anglo-Russian Convention
- Completes Triple Entente

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Stalin's Foreign Policy

Alastair Kocho-Williams, University of the West of England.

This podcast examines Stalin's foreign policy in the interwar years. Dr Kocho-Williams examines Stalin's foreign policy aims during the 1930s, discussing the failure of collective security and the conclusion of the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939. The podcast covers the Soviet Union's conduct of foreign policy using both diplomacy and the Communist International.

Contents:

1. The aims of Soviet foreign policy under Stalin, 1928-1941
2. Collective Security and its failure
3. The Soviet Union and the Spanish Civil War
4. The Nazi-Soviet Pact, August 1939
5. The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, June 1941

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Russia, Germany & the Alliance System: 1872 -1914

Alastair Kocho-Williams, University of the West of England.

This podcasts deals with Russia, Germany and the system of alliances created in the late 19th Century. These alliances would prove to be crucially important in the build up to the First World War. The alliances are looked at, and questions are asked as to how significant they were with respect to the First World War, and if in fact were a contributing factor to its outbreak.

Contents:

1. The Bismarckian Alliance System (1871-1890)
2. The Franco-Russian Alliance (1893/4)
3. The Triple-Entente
4. Crises and the outbreak of the First World War

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