Nazi Soviet Non Agreession Pact
On August 23, 1939–before World War II (1939-45) broke out in Europe–enemies Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union shocked the world by signing the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, in which the two countries agreed to take no military action against each other, for the next 10 years. German chancellor Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) used the pact, to make sure Germany was able to invade and take over Poland unopposed. With Europe on the verge of another major war, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1879-1953), saw the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while giving him time to build up the Soviet military, in the hopes of defeating Hitler overtime. The pact contained a secret agreement, in which the Soviets and Germans, agreed how they would later divide Eastern Europe. The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact fell apart in June 1941. Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union.