History of Europe

What territories did soviet union gain in the beginning of ww2?

The territories that the Soviet Union gained at the beginning of World War II include Eastern Poland, Karelia, and Bessarabia. During that period, the Soviet Union signed non-aggression pacts with Germany, leading to the joint invasion and partition of Poland in September 1939. As part of this agreement, the Soviet Union annexed the eastern regions of Poland.

In November 1939, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, resulting in the Winter War. Although Finland managed to resist Soviet advances for several months, it eventually had to cede parts of Karelia and the Karelian Isthmus to the Soviet Union in March 1940.

In addition, Bessarabia, which was then part of Romania, was occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940 after the country issued an ultimatum demanding its cession. The Soviet Union incorporated Bessarabia and merged it with parts of Ukraine and Moldova to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.