“The signing of the Nazi soviet pact in 1939 reflected the total failure of Stalin’s foreign
policy”. Assess the validity of this view. A* essay
Teacher feedback:
You have followed a clear and coherent structure throughout and have understood
the question and its demands well.
A well organised answer and well substantiated.
To improve this challenge yourself more with your analysis, question how far his
foreign policy was consistent?
Perhaps use more statistics and facts in your answer to justify your arguments and
make it more judicious in its analysis.
The signing of the Nazi- Soviet pact in 1939 undoubtedly mirrored the growing failure of
Stalin’s foreign policy. However, to label his foreign policy as a “total” failure would be ill-
judged. While it cannot be disputed that Stalin’s foreign policy was inherently inconsistent
and subscribed to no particular order, this still does not reduce it to being a “total” failure. A
foreign policy that is “totally” a failure would be one where war is inevitable from multiple
nations. However, Stalin did try to remain at peace with many countries such as France and
the UK. The signing of the Nazi Soviet pact only reflected that Stalin’s foreign policy was
more unsuccessful than successful but cannot be described to be a “total” failure as many
would argue as he avoided war and sought peaceful relations with many countries.
Firstly, the signing of the Nazi- Soviet pact in 1939 did in fact reflect the inconsistent and
growing failure of Stalin’s foreign policy. Despite signs that war was inevitable with Germany,
Stalin still refused to prepare Russia for war through maintaining stronger relations with the
western allies but instead sought to maintain peace with Germany when it was clear that war
was inevitable. For example, in 1936 Hitler began rearming his army in the Rhineland which
directly violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles with the western allies. The biggest
reason why the Nazi Soviet pact reflected the growing failure of Stalin’s foreign policy was
because he was incapable of acknowledging the fact that if Hitler could breach the
conditions of the treaty of Versailles, he was more than capable of doing the same to the
Nazi Soviet pact of 1939. Stalin signing the pact in 1939 reflected how he was simply
incapable of judging threats from potential enemies which therefore justifies how the signing
of the Nazi Soviet pact in 1939 did in fact reflect the growing failure of his policies. It does
not however reflect the ‘total’ failure of his policies. A foreign policy that is a ‘total’ failure
would be one where Russia would immediately be drawn into conflict and war with multiple
nations including the western allies. Because Russia was not in this predicament until Hitler
invaded in 1941, it demonstrates how Stalin’s foreign policy was not a total failure but one
with many flaws.
Furthermore, while his foreign policy was not a total failure, the failure from signing the Nazi
Soviet pact in 1939 is accurately seen through the anti-comitern pact in 1936 which both
Germany and Japan signed. This occurred three years before the signing of the Nazi Soviet
pact in 1939 and should have highlighted to Stalin the hostility which Germany was exerting
towards the USSR. The anti-comitern pact effectively maintained that both countries would
take joint action if they had ‘interference’ (the USSR) in their internal affairs. Stalin should
have recognised this threat and bond between the ‘axis’ countries of Japan, Germany and
policy”. Assess the validity of this view. A* essay
Teacher feedback:
You have followed a clear and coherent structure throughout and have understood
the question and its demands well.
A well organised answer and well substantiated.
To improve this challenge yourself more with your analysis, question how far his
foreign policy was consistent?
Perhaps use more statistics and facts in your answer to justify your arguments and
make it more judicious in its analysis.
The signing of the Nazi- Soviet pact in 1939 undoubtedly mirrored the growing failure of
Stalin’s foreign policy. However, to label his foreign policy as a “total” failure would be ill-
judged. While it cannot be disputed that Stalin’s foreign policy was inherently inconsistent
and subscribed to no particular order, this still does not reduce it to being a “total” failure. A
foreign policy that is “totally” a failure would be one where war is inevitable from multiple
nations. However, Stalin did try to remain at peace with many countries such as France and
the UK. The signing of the Nazi Soviet pact only reflected that Stalin’s foreign policy was
more unsuccessful than successful but cannot be described to be a “total” failure as many
would argue as he avoided war and sought peaceful relations with many countries.
Firstly, the signing of the Nazi- Soviet pact in 1939 did in fact reflect the inconsistent and
growing failure of Stalin’s foreign policy. Despite signs that war was inevitable with Germany,
Stalin still refused to prepare Russia for war through maintaining stronger relations with the
western allies but instead sought to maintain peace with Germany when it was clear that war
was inevitable. For example, in 1936 Hitler began rearming his army in the Rhineland which
directly violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles with the western allies. The biggest
reason why the Nazi Soviet pact reflected the growing failure of Stalin’s foreign policy was
because he was incapable of acknowledging the fact that if Hitler could breach the
conditions of the treaty of Versailles, he was more than capable of doing the same to the
Nazi Soviet pact of 1939. Stalin signing the pact in 1939 reflected how he was simply
incapable of judging threats from potential enemies which therefore justifies how the signing
of the Nazi Soviet pact in 1939 did in fact reflect the growing failure of his policies. It does
not however reflect the ‘total’ failure of his policies. A foreign policy that is a ‘total’ failure
would be one where Russia would immediately be drawn into conflict and war with multiple
nations including the western allies. Because Russia was not in this predicament until Hitler
invaded in 1941, it demonstrates how Stalin’s foreign policy was not a total failure but one
with many flaws.
Furthermore, while his foreign policy was not a total failure, the failure from signing the Nazi
Soviet pact in 1939 is accurately seen through the anti-comitern pact in 1936 which both
Germany and Japan signed. This occurred three years before the signing of the Nazi Soviet
pact in 1939 and should have highlighted to Stalin the hostility which Germany was exerting
towards the USSR. The anti-comitern pact effectively maintained that both countries would
take joint action if they had ‘interference’ (the USSR) in their internal affairs. Stalin should
have recognised this threat and bond between the ‘axis’ countries of Japan, Germany and
