First Covenant tragedy

The Soviet leadership also allegedly offered to Western countries strongly collective resistance to the aggressor until August 1939 when he was already known about the exact intent of Hitler to wage war against Poland from day to day. But even then, Western leaders have continued to prolong negotiations and avoid specific commitments. In these circumstances, the Soviet Union left alone to take care of not to be engaged alone in the immediate war with Germany and to buy time to better prepare for a confrontation with her.

Indeed, Western leaders have missed an opportunity to stop aggression at an early stage, when the Nazi regime was far less a threat to humanity. Missed because of the cowardly, selfish unwillingness to make sacrifices for their proclaimed the principles. Because of the willingness to betray others for my own peace of mind. And within European countries Munich agreement has long valued as a shameful page in the history of Britain and France.

The deal between Stalin and Hitler, at least based on the same cowardly, selfish expediency plus the gross strategic miscalculation. Because in 1939, Germany was even less prepared for war with the Soviet Union than the Soviet Union was ready for war with her June 22, 1941.

Military industry in Germany just beginning to develop. She felt a huge shortage of strategic raw materials. Troops barely enough to capture small, weak, technologically backward, Poland. For the subsequent defeat of France Hitler took almost a year to build military power. And if the USSR did not provide him reliable rear in the east, it is likely that he did not dare then to attack Poland. Risk be facing a coalition of Britain, France and the Soviet Union was too great. Even after the Nazi-Soviet pact of such a belated step of the British government as the signing of a treaty of alliance with Poland on 25 August, so alarmed by Hitler that he had suffered since the invasion from 26 August to 1 September.

Suppose, however, that Hitler was an adventurer, without regard to anything, he decided to settle accounts with Poland, hoping that, as before, neither Britain and France, nor the Soviet Union did not budge. Let us even assume that England and France, hoping to push Germany to the USSR, even formal war so she would not have announced. But this does not mean Hitler's willingness to wage war against the Soviet Union immediately after the Polish campaign (not so easy). Ready for war with the Soviet Union he felt only after the capture of almost the whole of continental Europe and adapt its economy to the military needs of the Reich. In any case, the end of 1939, Germany had over the Soviet Union of the military advantages that it will receive the summer of 1941. So that no mortal need to go to a deal with Hitler, Stalin, not forced.

Chamberlain and Daladier - only indirect Hitler's henchmen. By signing the Munich agreement, they still cherished the illusion that prevent a major war. Stalin had in August 1939, knew that the decision to attack Poland in Germany and adopted by concluding a treaty with Hitler, he gives the green light to the attack. That is becoming a direct accomplice to war. He promised not to interfere with the bandit, intending to kill and rob his neighbor. And not only for the promise not to touch the bandit himself. Per share of production.

Or, perhaps, Stalin believed that the expected "territorial and political transformation in the areas falling within the Polish state" will carry the Martians? And that is like no agreement on the division of the territory of a sovereign state? What is this if not a conspiracy on the joint commission of crimes against international law?

However, some campaigners against the "anti-patriotic falsifications of history continue to deny it, because" neither the treaty nor the protocol of the USSR did not take its obligations to make war against Poland, to participate in the war against Germany or Poland to help Germany's armed forces in combat operations against the Polish Army. " The actions of the Soviet Union can not be regarded as participating in the liquidation of the Polish state and its topic, as well as "commanders of the Red Army did not work out with the command of the Wehrmacht's operational plans ... not planned jointly with Germanic military combat operations ... and did not carry out such." Nomination of the same Soviet troops in eastern Poland is not provided for the secret protocol, and was caused by fears of Soviet leaders, that Germany is trying to occupy the whole of Poland and at the end of hostilities did not allot its troops on the previously agreed boundary line of public interest, writes military historian Oleg Vishlev.

This is another line of defense for those who by hook or by crook seeks to justify the Stalinist regime. What to eat, and all his, native. Yes, perhaps miscalculate. Yes, had to sacrifice principles and agree with the outright villains. And what could I do? All the so-behaved. Perhaps, the immediate threat of attack by Germany on the Soviet Union at the time and was not, but Poland still was not saved. And so even a good deed done: Ukrainians and Belarusians from the Nazi "new order" rescued and was finally allowed to rejoin them. But while we have no cooperation with the Nazis was not.

Initially, the Soviet leadership, indeed, as if embarrassed, tried to evade a direct and explicit collaboration with the Nazis, whom they openly solicited. Already on September 3 Ribbentrop Molotov asks, not whether the Soviet Union considers it desirable to immediately speak out against the Polish forces and occupy the Soviet zone of interests: it would help Germany and would be consistent with the Moscow accord. However, Molotov replied: haste can only "hurt us" and help to unite "our adversaries."

Urging the Soviet Union, the Germans argued that military necessity may force them, in pursuit of the Polish army, temporarily occupy any part of the Soviet "zone". The Soviets replied that she will treat it with understanding (it is the issue of "fear" of the Soviet leadership).

Finally, September 10, Molotov with truly childlike germanskomu Ambassador explained the reasons for the slowness of the Soviet government: it is "going to use the further advance of Germanic troops, to explain that Poland had fallen, and as a consequence of the Soviet Union it was necessary to help the Ukrainians and Belarusians who are" threatens Germany. The Soviet government saw no other way to avoid having to appear the aggressor in the eyes of the masses. Molotov asked the Nazis to understand and not take to heart.

Touchy Germans felt that it was "not on concepts," and demanded a joint communique in which the actions of Soviet and Germanic troops in Poland would be justified by the need to "restore peace and order, violated the collapse of the Polish state." Stalin considered it a step too frank. Even after the Soviet troops entered the case, Hitler was still doge Stalin and September 19 joint communique appeared. It said that the task of Soviet and Germanic troops is "help the people of Poland to rebuild the terms of their political existence."

Then everything went like something lighter. September 28 Ribbentrop, signed in Moscow on a new contract - no longer a non-aggression, but of friendship and boundaries. Friendship with the Soviet state, waging war. Not even the neutrality, namely, friendship. And the new boundaries, which, in fact, they recorded "territorial and political transformation in the Polish lands, because of which the war raged. That is, the new treaty formally transformed the USSR from an accomplice of Nazi Germany to its ally.

"After the Germanic Government and the Government of the Soviet Union today signed a final resolve issues arising from the collapse of the Polish state, and thereby created a solid foundation for lasting peace in Eastern Europe, they are in mutual agreement expressed the view that the elimination of the present war between Germany on the one side and Britain and France on the other hand the interests of all peoples. "

Thus began a joint Germany and the Soviet statement on the outcome of negotiations. That is dissolved (apparently spontaneously) the Polish state can not be restored, and only on this basis can stop the European war, and further suggested that Britain and France. Indeed, because of what they go to war if Poland still has not, and it finally? If they are peaceful "efforts by both governments wasted" (ie Britain and France would not agree to these terms), then "thus establishing the fact that Britain and France are responsible for the continuation of the war, and in case of continuation of the war the Government of Germany and Soviet Union will consult each other on the necessary measures. "

The position of the USSR "dialectically" Molotov substantiated in a widely-known speech at the session of the Supreme Council of November 1, 1939:

"Over the past few months such concepts as" aggression, "" aggressor ", received a new concrete content, acquired a new meaning now ... ... Germany ... is in the state seeking an early end to the war and peace, while Britain and France yesterday were fought against aggression, are in favor of continuing the war and against the peace. Raleigh, as you see, change ... More recently, the ruling circles of Britain and France are trying to portray themselves as champions of the democratic rights of the peoples against Hitlerism, with the British government announced that, though for him to war is nothing more nor less than "the destruction of Hitlerism" ... An ideology can not be destroyed by force, not to end her war. It is not only senseless but criminal to wage such a war of annihilation "Hitlerism," hiding behind a false banner of the struggle for democracy. "


It is felt that the words of politicians in general do not mean anything and therefore not be treated seriously. Indeed, anyone harm, "dialectical" antics Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, except the prestige of the great Soviet power on his rant in the most idiotic and adult form?

But allied Soviet assistance Hitler's Germany was not limited to propaganda tricks and threats to certain "necessary measures" against England and France. Treaty on September 28 as supplemented by a secret protocol, which said that Germany and the USSR would not tolerate on its territory "Polish agitation" against the other side. "They will suppress in their territories all the sources of such agitation and inform each other about the measures taken to this end. This was quite a practical agreement on the joint fight against Nazi Germany and the socialist Soviet Union against the Polish resistance movement.

In early October 1939 the Soviet government proposed germanskomu arrange a naval base 35 miles north-west of Murmansk for refueling and repair Germanic warships and submarines. The Germans used it during the Norwegian campaign and left it only in September 1940, when the capture of Norway no longer need it. The Soviet Union is allowed to take refuge in the harbor of Murmansk and refuel there a German cruiser operating against England. The Soviet government also provided assistance to its icebreakers for wire across the Arctic German raiders, camouflaged as merchant ships.

What can we say about economic aid! In 1940, the rapidly increasing its economic ties of the Soviet Union and Germany. Undermining its trade embargo, the USSR carried out large-scale deliveries of oil, cotton, grain, timber, nonferrous metals, asbestos, phosphate, desperately needed the German economy for war. Were essential supplies from other countries, carried out through Soviet territory. Graphite from Madagascar, tungsten and rubber of French Indo-China and many others came to Germany on the railways of the Soviet Union. Soviet Union assumed the role of buyer of goods to Germany in those countries which directly cases it leads.

The last train from raw crossed the Soviet border to Germany for a few hours before germanskogo attack during the night June 22, 1941. When morning Germanic Ambassador Schulenburg met with Molotov to read to him a memorandum, said that Germany decided to send its armed forces on Soviet territory because of "obvious danger" of aggression by the Soviet Union, quite bewildered head of Soviet diplomacy, he said: "This is war. You think that we deserve it? "