Germany and the Soviet Union's Non-Aggression Treaty

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It is the inquisitive nature of man that is primary driving force behind the Five W’s: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Though these are all meaningful pursuits in their own right, it is the purpose of this piece to shed light on the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union’s purpose, as well as the most likely causes for its manifestation. Also in question, but not out of the scope of discussion, is whether or not non-aggression pacts truly work to preserve peace, or whether they are unintentionally one of the primary fuel sources that combust to cause war amongst the nations involved. The realist holds the key to this argument. The realist perspective sits alone as being the most concise angle from which to view the events transpired. However, without understanding a bulk of the history, a moderately concise answer cannot be delivered to the reader. During WWI, Russia was in dire straits; they were at war with both neighboring and distant countries while also having internal conflicts. Recognizing the need to appease the German war machine, Lenin felt it essential to have the Russian state bound to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Brest-Litovsk). Essentially ceding territory to Germany, this treaty created a sort of buffer between Germany and Russia, allowing the Russians to focus more on internal affairs. However, in April of 1922, Germany and Russia signed yet another treaty; the Treaty of Rapallo had both Germany and Russia renounce territorial and financial claims against each other. To ensure that relations would remain peaceful for at least the near future, Germany and Russia signed the 1926 Treaty of Berlin. Among other things, the purpose of the Treaty of Berlin was to solidify neutrality, sh... ... middle of paper ... ...nt. Modern History Sourcebook: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, 1939." FORDHAM.EDU. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2011. Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: a History of Nazi Germany. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. Print. Manchester, William. The Last Lion. London [u.a.: Sphere, 1985. Print. Carr, Edward Hallett. German-Soviet Relations between the Two World Wars, 1919-1939. New York: Arno, 1979. Print. Philbin, Tobias R. The Lure of Neptune: German-Soviet Naval Collaboration and Ambitions, 1919-1941. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, 1994. Print. "Moscow Dossier Embarrasses US and Britain Ahead of Riga Summit | World News | The Guardian." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. Web. 16 June 2011. .

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