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Ideology - Comintern
-became branch of Soviet Foreign office
-primary role of protecting USSR
-foreign communist parties had to swear "absolute obedience" to "Bolshevisation -
Stalin's Aims for 1924-33
-continuity between Lenin and him = compromise rather than confrontation
-pragmatist
-wanted to protect USSR, defensive attitude
-"Socialism in One Country", avoiding premature conflicts + socialist society
-"Left Turn" 1928
-Second Revolution late 1920s w/ 5 year plans
-transforming economy to industrial superpower
-cynical ploy on USSR patriotism that they didn't need foreign help
-wrath of other nations too high of a price
-USSR-progress 100 years in 10 years -
Motives + Aims of Western govs to USSR
-exception of Br + Fr, USSR remained largely isolated-continue to be the case w/ WR embraced
-change in tactics even if suspicion + hostility remained
-lack of success of West to accept USSR
-Weimar Ger not same aims as other West, shared marginalised status -
Locarno Conference
-Germany's western borders confirmed, eastern borders not
-deepening USSR'S isolation
-Germany potentially push into USSR -
German-Soviet economic agreement
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Locarno Treaties
-using Germany as bulwark
-Dawes Plan + Young Plan, loans to each other
-USA -> 800m marks to Germany -
Treaty of Berlin
-5 years neutrality
-chemical weapons facility + Samara Oblast w/ Red Army has access
-reaffirmed Treaty of Rapallo
-300m German marks loans -
Britian + Canada broke off diplomatic relations w/ USSR
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Geneva Preparatory Commission
-Litvinov asked for immediate and total disarmament -
Kellog-Briand Pact
-renounced use of war as an instrument of political policy
-signed by italy germany britain france -
Left Turn
-extreme left-wing policies of rapid industrialisation
-moved against Bukharin + right-wing of Communist party
-foreign Communist parties intstructed to denounce social democratic parties as "Social Fascists"
-KPD instructed to attack SPD in Germany, divided the left and allowed Nazis to get stronger -
Wall Street Crash
-showed superiority of Soviet system as they weren't impacted
-proved to Stalin Communism was the strongest
-little to fear from west, aggressive approach
-wanting to exploit contradictions between them -
Litvinov Protocol
-new People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs Litvinov-anti war pact in eastern EU
-USSR, Poland, Romania, Latvia, Estonia 1929
-Finland, Lithuania, Turkey + Iran
-peaceful intentions to wider world
-gaining time while 2nd Revolution transformed USSR -
France November pact
-non aggression pact -
Poland December pact
-non aggression pact -
USA relations
-diplomatic relations
-gave USSR official recognition