Formation of the young Soviet statewas rather difficult and long. In many respects, this was due to the fact that the international community did not hurry to recognize it. In such conditions, the foreign policy of the USSR in the 20-30s of the 20th century was characterized by rigidity and consistency, since many problems had to be solved.
At the very beginning of the twentieth century,a landmark event: the USSR achieved a complete lifting of the trade blockade, which was very painful for the country's economy, and was already greatly weakened. A very important role was played by the Decree on Concessions, which was issued on November 23, 1920.
В принципе, сразу после подписания всех торговых agreements with Great Britain, Kaiser Germany and other countries, diplomats actually achieved unofficial recognition of the USSR throughout the world. The official stretched from 1924 to 1933. Especially successful was the 1924th, when it was possible to resume relations with more than three dozen foreign states.
This was the foreign policy of the USSR in the 1920s and 1930s.To put it briefly, it was possible to reorient the economy to the industrial sector, as the country began to receive in sufficient quantities of raw materials and technologies.
The first foreign ministers, thanks towhich became possible such a breakthrough, were Chicherin and Litvinov. These brilliant diplomats, who received their education in tsarist Russia, have become a real "bridge" between the young USSR and the rest of the world. They conducted the foreign policy of the USSR in the 20-30 years of the 20th century.
But foreign policy of the USSR in the 20-30s was not knownonly victory. Approximately in the early thirties a new round of deteriorating relations with the Western world began. This time the pretext was that the government of the USSR officially supported the national movement in China. With England, however, relations were virtually broken because the country sympathized with the striking English workers. It came to the point that Vatican leaders openly called for the "Crusade" against the Soviet Union.
Not surprisingly, the foreign policy of the USSR in the 20-30-ies. XX century. was extremely cautious: you could not give the slightest reason for aggression.
Do not assume that the Sovietthe leadership led some inadequate, disproportionate time policy. Just the same time the government of the USSR differed in those years with rare sanity. So, right after 1933, when the party of National Socialists came to power in Germany, it was the Soviet Union that began actively to insist on the creation of a collective European security system. All efforts of diplomats were traditionally ignored by the leaders of European powers.
Of course, political forces in the country understood,than all this threatens, and therefore the foreign policy of the USSR in the 1920s and 1930s began to undergo serious changes again. The sending of equipment and specialists for confrontation with the Nazis began. This is how the procession of fascism across Europe was marked, and the leaders of the European powers practically did not resist this.
Fears of Soviet politicians completelywere confirmed when, in 1938, Hitler produced the "Anschluss" of Austria. In September of the same year, the Munich Conference was held, attended by representatives of Germany, Britain and other countries.
No one was surprised that, following its results, the Sudetenlandthe region of Czechoslovakia was unanimously placed under the authority of the Third Reich. The Soviet Union was almost the only country that openly condemned the fact of Hitler's undisguised aggression. Only a year later, under his authority, not only the whole of Czechoslovakia, but also Poland.
The situation was complicated by the fact that in the Far EastEast situation deteriorated continuously. In 1938 and 1939, parts of the Red Army entered into fire contact with the Japanese Kwantung Army. These were the famous Khasan and Khalkin-Gol battle. Also, military operations were conducted on Mongolian territory. Mikado believed that the heir to tsarist Russia, in the person of the USSR, retained all the weaknesses of his predecessor, but greatly miscalculated: Japan was defeated, having to make significant territorial concessions.
After Stalin at least three times triedagree to create an ill-fated European security system, the leadership of the USSR was forced to establish diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany. At the present time, Western historians vying to convince the world of the aggressive intentions of the Soviet Union, but its true purpose was simple. The country tried to secure its borders from the attack, compelled to negotiate with a likely adversary.
In the middle of 1939 the Covenant was signedMolotov-Ribbentrop. Under the terms of the classified part of the document, Germany received Western Poland, and the USSR was taken by Finland, the Baltic states, Eastern Poland, most of present-day Ukraine. Normalized before that relationship with England and France were completely spoiled.
Stage name, years | Main characteristic |
Primary stage, 1922-1933. Constant attempts to break through the international blockade. | Most of the policy focused on the fact that,to raise the prestige of the USSR in the eyes of Western countries. Relations with Germany at that time were rather friendly, because with her help the country's leadership hoped to confront England and France. |
"The era of pacifism", 1933-1939. | Soviet foreign policy began a large-scalereorientation, taking the course toward establishing normal relations with the leaders of the Western powers. Attitude to Hitler - cautious, repeated attempts to create a European security system. |
The third stage, the crisis of international relations, 1939-1940. | Having failed in attempts to normalto agree with France and England, the policy of the USSR began a new rapprochement with Germany. International relations deteriorated sharply after the Winter War of 1939 in Finland. |
This is what characterized the foreign policy of the USSR in the 20-30 years.
