Did Stalin Instigate World War II?

[Smaland]

Thesis: the Bolsheviks wanted to spread Communism throughout Europe, and they couldn't do it without a war.

The relevant portion of the Haaretz article extends from the beginning to the second section entitled "Between Sharett and Lavon".

Article: relevant document found in U.S. National Archives (http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/friday-supplement/was-stalin-to-blame-1.228553)

[Curtis24]

Its hard to say, but the Russians probably would have invaded Eastern Europe and Germany at some point, war or no war. And the roots of this weren't really in Communism, but in the (justifiable) fear of Russia being invaded by a Western European force, and the subsuquent desire of Russia to create a buffer between itself and Western Europe.

[d3cimat3d]

A letter written by Stalin was sold for $12,500 at Sotheby's on Friday. The document appears to be evidence of Russia’s plans to attack Germany in World War Two.

The letter signed by Joseph Stalin and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov – dated January 8, 1940 – asks Mongolian leader Choi Balsan for almost 40,000 tons of wool for troop clothing. For his part, Stalin promised to take all the efforts necessary to satisfy assistance requests from Mongolia.

In a startling conclusion, the auction house brochure describes the letter as proof that the Soviet Union planned to invade Germany in harsh winter conditions – something which has been undiscovered by historians before.




Source (http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-12-11/stalin-letter-sothebys-auction.html)

[Debaser11]

Its hard to say, but the Russians probably would have invaded Eastern Europe and Germany at some point, war or no war. And the roots of this weren't really in Communism, but in the (justifiable) fear of Russia being invaded by a Western European force, and the subsuquent desire of Russia to create a buffer between itself and Western Europe.

Russia invaded Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland before WWII. They starved 8 million Ukranians to death to subdue the country. Communism makes no secret of its worldwide agenda.

[The Ripper]

Russia invaded Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland before WWII.

Only the Soviets think WWII started in 1941.

[Eldritch]

Russia invaded Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland before WWII. They starved 8 million Ukranians to death to subdue the country. Communism makes no secret of its worldwide agenda.

This is all true, except that like Riipp pointed out, the 1939-40 Winter War is considered a part of the larger series of events known as the Second World War. ;)

[Mark LV]

Stalin was fully responsible. Incontrovertible evidence has now been discovered in Soviet archves and explained in this book: 'The Chief Culprit' by Victor Suvorov. Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Chief-Culprit-Stalins-Design-Jacket/dp/1591148383/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281393860&sr=8-1

Therefore Hitler is innocent of this aggression - he was merely launching a pre-emptive strike in June 1941, as German intelligence had by then solid evidence of an imminent Soviet attack.

[Debaser11]

This is all true, except that like Riipp pointed out, the 1939-40 Winter War is considered a part of the larger series of events known as the Second World War. ;)

How about the Soviet-Polish conflict in 1919?

[Loki]

Stalin would not have attacked Nazi Germany firstly. I still believe Barbarossa was a gross error in judgement by Hitler.

[Turkophagos]

Socialism in One Country was a thesis put forth by Joseph Stalin in 1924, elaborated by Nikolai Bukharin in 1925 and finally adopted as state policy by Stalin. The thesis held that given the defeat of all communist revolutions in Europe from 1917–1921 except in Russia, the Soviet Union should begin to strengthen itself internally.

They had given up their plan for a world communist revolution/domination since mid 20's, they wouldn't attack Germany first.

[Mark LV]

Stalin would not have attacked Nazi Germany firstly. I still believe Barbarossa was a gross error in judgement by Hitler.

The evidence is clear: Stalin was preparing to attack Hitler in July 1941. Read the book!

[Loki]

The evidence is clear: Stalin was preparing to attack Hitler in July 1941. Read the book!

What book? Nazi or Neo-Nazi propaganda?

[Debaser11]

Loki, isn't that a bit unfair? Again, you don't have to be a Hitler worshipper to realize Mark LV may have a point. I've certainly read evidence that makes it seem Stalin was not going to attack. But I've also read evidence which makes it seem that the non-aggression pact was simply a tool to buy time to build up his army. It's a tough call at this point but hopefully we'll know more in the future. We do know that the Soviets were not any more bashful than the Nazis about trying to acquire new territory.

[SwordoftheVistula]

What book? Nazi or Neo-Nazi propaganda?

Both the author of that book 'Victor Suvorov' (Bogdan Rozen) and the discoverer of this document (Mischa Shauli) are jewish.

It appears that only the Stalin apologists are the ones coming from an ideological basis with no basis in historical fact.

[Groenewolf]

Both the author of that book 'Victor Suvorov' (Bogdan Rozen) and the discoverer of this document (Mischa Shauli) are jewish.

It appears that only the Stalin apologists are the ones coming from an ideological basis with no basis in historical fact.

Wonder how many times they where called useful idiots by the far-left. But it does sound like an interesting book and I have some interest in not often told/obscured history.

[Loki]

I read Icebreaker 20 years ago, and bought it with my first Mein Kampf. Also had a swastika painted onto my school bookcase, to the annoyance of my teachers.

[Curtis24]

Russia invaded Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland before WWII. They starved 8 million Ukranians to death to subdue the country. Communism makes no secret of its worldwide agenda.

But Russia had been continuously expanding its borders during the 18th and 19th centuries, long before it turned communist. Furthermore, Russia had been invaded several times by Western powers from the late medieval age right up to Hitler's invasion. Many of these were highly successful, albeit short-lived, for instance at various times different Scandinavian and Eastern Europe countries captured Moscow and put their own puppet despots on the Russian throne. And some of the invasions were devastating, for instance Napoleon's invasion and the WWI German invasion. The truth is that Russia possessed many resources that Western Europe craved - including a large mass of manual labors accostumed to substandard conditions. Because of this, it was always a target of Western Europe and later the U.S., and still is. There is truth to the Communist ixiom that Western Capitilist powers seek to exploit Russia

Russia also had a history of Western-oriented expansion prior to Communism. Peter the Great seized the port of Archangel from Sweden in the Great Northern War, and by extenstion control of the Baltic Sea. Peter fought a war against the Ottomans, and Catherine the Great did as well seizing land around the Black Sea. Catherine the Great also seized territories in Central Europe from the Polish Commonwealth. During the Napoleonic invasion, Russian forces extended as far as Paris, and in the aftermath Russia installed a puppet ruler in Poland. Not to mention the Crimean War. There are also other examples that predate Peter the Great, but I'm too lazy to look them up right now :p


Stalin would not have attacked Nazi Germany firstly. I still believe Barbarossa was a gross error in judgement by Hitler.

I think what Stalin wanted was for Germany and the West to exhaust themselves fighting each other, and then for Russia to pick up the pieces of Western Europe. Maybe not through a massive blitzkrieg, but gradually.

Back to the original question: did Stalin directly instigate WWII? I doubt it. Russia was wholly unprepared for the German invasion, having entire armies decimated during the initial German drive to Moscow. If Stalin had some master plan to start WWII, it makes sense that he would have made preparations for a potential German invasion of Russia; it doesn't make sense why Stalin would allow such a destruction of Russian military forces. Hitler's decision to invade Russia may have been a gross misjudgement, but Stalin's calculation that Hitler wouldn't invade was an even grosser one.

[SwordoftheVistula]

If Stalin had some master plan to start WWII, it makes sense that he would have made preparations for a potential German invasion of Russia; it doesn't make sense why Stalin would allow such a destruction of Russian military forces.

He was expecting that he could launch an attack on Germany at a time of his choosing, thus much of the Soviet military was in forward locations where they could be easily overrun or bombed by German forces.

[Böri]

No it was the sick Hitler BUT some Western country needed to face Stalinism. You just need to look at Soviet symbolism from 1930s to understand it, you always see the big Globe in red with the sickle and hammer on it: so Communists clearly said they wanted to invade the whole world for Stalin and make it a big socialist prison. The 1937 purge by Stalin was preparing the Red Army for world conquest.
After signing non-aggression pact with Hitler, Stalin was quite happy to see that the Western countries were destroying each other and he thought that the invasion of Europe was easy. He was waiting the total destruction of Europe before attacking himself it's why he didnt take seriously spy reports saying Germans are gathering 3 million soldiers on the Soviet border. When Germany attacked he was taken by surprise.
Hitler's attack killed the dynamism of socialism and of the USSR and also strength coming from its youngness and ideological freshness. It's why, despite not enough to take down the Soviets, it was enough for destroy its energy. Whole Western Soviet Union destroyed, 25 million Soviet people killed. Actually Stalin never recovered.
Hitler was a sick racist murderer but at least he had standards when killing, he wasnt killing his own Germanic people but foreigners such as Jews, Romas, Slavs etc. The Georgian assassin Stalin was worse than him as he killed his own people even going as far as organising mass rapes, or at least apologist for such crimes.