France and England entered into negotiations to reach an agreement with the USSR, however, Stalin, offended in Munich, began the path towards his “political turn ”. Stalin feared to see the Western democracies a new Munich at the expense of Poland. The Russians, in April 1939, proposed to France and Great Britain a multiple alliance that would extend to all of Eastern Europe, which the British refused, who did not want to extend their commitments with Poland, Romania and Greece to all the Baltic countries and Finland. . The French and British doubt the effectiveness of Russian troops in the event of a German attack on Poland. Jdanov, in an article in Pravda, denounced that the French and British did not want an equal pact with the USSR. On the other hand, the USSR did not want to commit itself to intervene in the event of a German attack on Western Europe. This failure paved the way for the German-Soviet pact, as Stalin understood that the Western powers would rather destroy the USSR than face Hitler.
Stalin began the path of rapprochement with Hitler, dismissed his foreign minister, Livitnov, for being disinclined to this political line of rapprochement with Germany and for his Jewish origin. He was replaced by Molotov, a veteran Bolshevik, faithful to Stalin.
The pre-war atmosphere grew. In this context, the Western powers initiated a new rapprochement with the USSR. They agreed to include the Baltic States in the “Guaranteed Countries ”, but in return they demanded that the USSR commit to intervention in the event of a German attack on Belgium, Holland or Luxembourg. Molotov objected, arguing that these three countries had no relations with the USSR. In July 1939, France and Great Britain sent a new mission to the USSR. Stalin did not like that they sent some “lower ranking” delegates. Stalin demanded guarantees to be able to enter Poland to fight against the Germans, which the Poles refused. No progress was made on the approach.



On August 19, Germany and the USSR signed an advantageous trade agreement for Moscow. The USSR decided to agree with Germany in an atmosphere of lack of scruples and great territorial ambitions. Some historians maintain that the attempt to avoid or, at least delay, a German attack on the USSR prevailed. For his part, Hitler began rapprochement with the USSR, with many precautions, in the spring of 1939.
On 08.23.1939 the world learned with astonishment the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, signed for ten years. Germany ended its belligerence of the Anti-Comintern Pact.





Additional secret protocols were added in which a distribution of areas of influence:

• Partition of Poland between both countries
• The USSR would regain influence in the Baltic States and Finland. In addition, it would recover Bessarabia (Romanian since 1918).
• The USSR undertook not to intervene in a war between Germany and Poland or between Germany and Western democracies.

GERMAN-SOVIET PACT "The Government of the German Reich and the USSR desirous of strengthening the cause of peace (...) have reached the following agreement Article 1. The High Contracting Parties undertake to desist from any act of violence, aggressive action or attack against each other, either individually or together with other powers. Article 2. In the event that one of the High Contracting Parties is the object of war action by a third country, the other Party shall in no way support that third country. Article 3. Both governments will maintain continuous contact in the future to consult and exchange information regarding problems that affect their common interests. Article 4. Neither of the two countries will participate in any alliance of powers directly or indirectly organized against the other party. Article 5. In the event that any conflict arises between the two countries (...) both parties will resolve it through a friendly exchange of opinions or, if necessary, through the establishment of arbitration commissions. Article 6. This treaty will be in force for 10 years (...)" Von Ribbentrop, Molotov. Moscow, August 23, 1939
ADDITIONAL SECRET PROTOCOLS TO THE GERMAN-SOVIET PACT "By signing the Non-Aggression Pact (...) the two parties discussed in strictly confidential talks the question of the border of their respective areas of influence in Eastern Europe. These talks led to the following conclusions : 1. In the case of a political and territorial reorganization in the areas belonging to the Baltic States (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the northern border of Lithuania will represent the border between the areas of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R. (...) 2. (...) in the areas belonging to the Polish state, the zones of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R. they will be approximately separated by the line of the Narew, Vistula and San rivers. Moscow, August 23, 1939
This pact meant a severe setback for the European leftist parties and for the labor movement, since European communists and socialists had not stopped calling for the fight against the Third Reich. Despite all the pressure from the Comintern, the communist parties of France and England (in addition to the German) did not stop considering the Nazi Regime as an enemy. This position of the USSR and the Comintern caused many communist parties to move away from Moscow, for example the Yugoslav Communist Party. Many Nazi militants and sympathizers were also taken aback by the deal.


Molotov, in a speech on 10.31.39, cynically justified the pact, He came to say that the war was between equal imperialisms and presented the Pact as a way to ensure peaceful coexistence in the event of a European war.
This agreement was very advantageous for Germany since it prevented the USSR from drawing closer to the Franco-British bloc.