SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY 1918-1941 (Part I)

1. SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY1918-1941(Part I)

2. Soviet Foreign Policy : 1917 to 1924 • Isolationism was the main foreign policy • Ceded territories in exchange for peace • Sought international recognition 1924 to 1934 • The Period of Isolationism • Promotion of Peaceful Intentions with Other Countries 1934 to 1941 • Counter German Threat • Alliance with Germany

3. 1917 to 1924 • Isolationism was the main foreign policy • Ceded territories in exchange for peace • Sought international recognition

4. ISOLATIONISM • 1920s & 30s : Russia kept to itself • Lenin and Stalin were very busy • Building socialism within Russia • Dealing with internal problems such as the civil wars • Reinforce their own political positions • They wanted to be left alone

5. TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK • Russia withdrew from the war in 1918 • Agreed to handover a huge chunk of land to Germany • This included Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lituania, Poland and Bessarabia • Germany lost WWI • Peoples in these territories seized the opportunity to declare independence • New Bolshevik Government was too preoccupied with problems at home to worry about these other problems

7. TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK TERRITORIES Bessarabia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lituania Before WWI Under Russian Rule During WWI (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk) Under German Control During WWII Once again Under Russian rule Between WWI and WWII Became independent states Bessarabia became part of Romania

9. Proclamation of independence act. Riga,November 18, 1918.

10. Forced collectivisation in Latvia. Single house farm being pulled to the collective village (kolhoz) in 1951.

11. People's manifestation for independenceon January 14, 1991.

12. Lithuania Inside the Church of St Peter & St Paul

13. Lithuania One of buildings in Vilnius waiting for reconstruction.

14. Lithuania The Gedraiciai monument to the fallen heroes of the war with Poland was so sturdily built that the Soviets could not manage to dismantle it during their occupation. 

15. Old KGB Headquarters Once a synagogue, the KGB HQ was selected for the gruesome acts of torture that were performed there because its thick walls muffled the screams of the interrogators' victims.  The walls of this building now are covered with photos of mutilated bodies from the KGB's own files.  The wooden sculpture in this picture was carved by a man who, as a young child, was forced to sit on his father's corpse while being interrogated.  Lithuania

16. ISOLATIONISM COMINTERN Communist International • Some Bolsheviks hoped to help promote the communist revolution in other countries • Set up Comintern in 1919 • To encourage the spread of revolution and communism in the world • Received little support from Russia’s new leaders

17. COMINTERN

18. RECOGNISING THE NEW BOLSHEVIK GOVERNMENT • Russia – the world’s first communist state • When the Bolsheviks won the civil wars, Lenin sought to improve relations with other countries • With better relations, it was less likely that they will interfere in Russia’s internal affairs

19. RECOGNISING THE NEW BOLSHEVIK GOVERNMENT • Most governments disliked it and were suspicious of its intentions • First they tried to defeat it by supporting the Whites in the civil war • Then they ignored it when that failed • Russia was not invited to the peace talks with Germany • Russia was not asked to join the League of Nations • Finally Britain recognised the Bolshevik government as the legal government of Russia • France, Italy and others soon followed • Exchange of ambassadors; treaties were signed

20. RELATIONS WITH GERMANY Germany wants revenge and we want revolution. For the moment our aims are the same . . . but when our ways part, they will be our most ferocious enemies. Time will tell whether a German hegemony or a Communist federation is to arise out of the ruins of Europe.

21. RELATIONS WITH GERMANY • Best relations with Germany • Shared similar characteristics • Isolated and criticized by the international community • Russia – communism; Germany - WWI • Bad terms with Britain and France • Gave them something in common • 1922 : Treaty of Rapallo • Promised to be on friendly terms with each other • Lasted for much for the 1920s

22. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Information and image sources • Moreira J., World in Transition – Perspectives on Modern World History, Singapore : SNP Education Pte Ltd, 2000. • Kelly N. and Shuter J., As It Was Lived – A History of the Modern World, Singapore : Pearson Education Asia Pte Ltd, 2000. • Lim S H, Tham Y P, Wang Z and Yeo L, Inroads – Modern World History, Singapore : Oxford University Press, 2000. • Tate N., A History of the Modern World, Singapore : Federal Publications, 1995.