KS1 (Age 5-7)KS2 (Age 7-11)11 Plus (Age 7-11)KS3 (Age 11-14)GCSE (Age 14-17)PSHE A.I.ESL Spanish Specialist Games

Need help with Russia: 1924-1941 - Foreign Policy? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with Russia: 1924-1941 - Foreign Policy today?

now

Churchill, usually Stalin's critic, said of him, "If Hitler invaded Hell I would make favourable representations to the Devil."

Russia: 1924-1941 - Foreign Policy

This GCSE History quiz explores Stalin's foreign policy between 1924 and 1941, from Socialism in One Country to the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the road to war.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Stalin’s main aim was to protect Soviet security while building socialism at home. He balanced fear of capitalist powers with caution towards Nazi Germany.

In GCSE History, you study how Stalin handled relations with other countries between 1924 and 1941. This includes changing alliances, treaties, and decisions that shaped the Soviet Union’s path to war.

Key Terms

Socialism in One Country: Stalin’s idea that the USSR should first strengthen socialism within its own borders before trying to spread revolution abroad.
Collective Security: A policy of working with other states, for example through the League of Nations, to resist aggression and try to prevent another major war.
Nazi-Soviet Pact: A 1939 non-aggression agreement between the USSR and Germany, including secret plans to divide parts of Eastern Europe between them.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What were Stalin's main foreign policy goals between 1924 and 1941?

Stalin wanted to strengthen Soviet security, avoid isolation, and buy time to modernise industry and the armed forces. His policy shifted from cooperation and collective security to making short-term deals such as the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

Why did Stalin agree to the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939?

Stalin agreed to the Nazi-Soviet Pact to delay war with Germany, gain territory in Eastern Europe, and secure time for the USSR to rearm. He no longer trusted Britain and France to stop Hitler effectively.

How did Stalin's foreign policy change before the Second World War?

Early on, Stalin showed interest in cooperation and collective security, for example by joining the League of Nations. By 1939 he turned to a deal with Nazi Germany, then after the 1941 invasion the USSR became an ally of Britain and the United States.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which formerly hostile Western European state recognised the Soviet regime in 1924?

France

Great Britain

Italy

The United States of America

By 1924 the Bolshevik government seemed to be entrenched in power, and the European political and economic situation seemed to be settling down. Why not recognise the USSR, if only further to encourage trade?

2 .

Litvinov, the Soviet Foreign Commissar until May 1939, signed non-aggression pacts with a number of states in 1928, in a bid to enhance Soviet security. With which of the following countries did he not sign such an agreement?

Great Britain

France

Poland

Estonia

Ideally Litvinov wanted agreements with major powers, but sometimes he had to be content with weaker states

3 .

In 1934 Litvinov secured Soviet membership of an international organisation, which he felt could confer on the USSR the benefits of collective security. What was this organisation?

The International Labour Organisation

The League of Nations

The Anti-Comintern Pact

The Peace Pledge Union

Litvinov persuaded Stalin that the advent of fascism (Mussolini had been in power since 1922, and Hitler since the previous year) could best be countered by international co-operation around the principle of collective security. However, Stalin was quite capable of changing his mind if international action seemed not to work

4 .

In May 1939 Litvinov was dismissed, and a new Foreign Commissar, who was more in favour of doing a deal with Hitler, was appointed. Who was this?

Lavrenti Beria

Marshal Voroshilov

Vyacheslav Molotov

Vyshinsky

A change of Foreign Commissar would most likely lead to a change in foreign policy, but the cynical Stalin could always revert to the previous policy, if Litvinov's successor failed to deliver the goods

5 .

On the 23rd of August 1939 the German Foreign Minister flew to Moscow to sign a treaty with Stalin. What was this treaty called?

The Nazi-Soviet Pact

The Dual Alliance

The Stalin-Ribbentrop Treaty

The Russo-German Agreement

This deal stunned the rest of the world. Now Hitler could attack Poland - his next target - with impunity

6 .

On the 17th of September 1939, in accordance with the terms of the recent agreement with Germany, Soviet forces invaded a neighbouring state, and began to enforce a brutal version of communism there. Which state was this?

Romania

Lithuania

Finland

Poland

The August deal with Germany gave Stalin a free hand in much of Eastern Europe

7 .

At the end of 1939, and well into 1940, the Red Army was engaged in a bruising war with Finland. What name is this conflict sometimes given?

The Finno-Soviet War

The Stalin-Mannerheim War

The Winter War

The Karelian War

Stalin's forces, weakened by the recent purge of senior officers, had difficulty in defeating a much smaller Finnish army. Before succumbing to an inevitable defeat, the Finns surrounded and destroyed several Russian regiments

8 .

In 1940 - again in accordance with the August 1939 treaty - Stalin invaded three neighbouring states, whose independence Lenin had been content to respect. Which of the three had never enjoyed the protection of the "Litvinov Protocol" from 1928?

Lithuania

Romania

Estonia

Latvia

Stalin was unlikely to respect the terms of the 1928 agreement, which he felt had been superseded by the August 1939 pact

9 .

What name was given to the German assault on the Soviet Union in June 1941?

Operation Barbarossa

Operation Hohenstaufen

Operation Siegfried

Operation Hohenschwanstein

Hitler saw this invasion (in full breach of the understanding reached with Stalin two years before) as in keeping with traditional Teutonic (German) hostility to the "barbarian" Slavs in the East

10 .

Which Western European leader (formerly a strong opponent of Stalin and Soviet communism) said at the time of the German attack on Russia in June 1941: "If Hitler invaded hell, I would make favourable representations to the devil".

Roosevelt

Churchill

Chiang Kai-Shek

General de Gaulle

The old adage, "My enemy's enemy is my friend", seemed to apply on this occasion

Author: Edward Towne