531. Hitler's War on Poland: The Pact with Stalin (Part 2)

Nazi-Soviet Pact

The Nazi-Soviet Pact, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was a pivotal agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union. Dominic Sandbrook describes the secret protocol to divide Eastern Europe, granting Stalin territories like Finland and Eastern Poland, while Joachim von Ribbentrop negotiated on behalf of Hitler 1. The pact was celebrated with a toast by Stalin, who expressed admiration for Hitler, despite the ideological chasm between them 2. Tom Holland notes that this agreement gave Hitler confidence, believing it secured a free hand against Poland without British or French intervention 3.

Hitler had said, there are only three great men in the world. They are me, Stalin, and Mussolini. And Mussolini is definitely third.

--- Dominic Sandbrook

This pact, however, was not just a diplomatic maneuver but a strategic move that set the stage for the invasion of Poland.

   

Italy and the Axis

Italy's role in the Axis alliance was marked by hesitation and manipulation. Dominic Sandbrook explains that Mussolini was reluctant to enter a war but was coerced into signing the Pact of Steel, a military alliance with Germany, under false assurances from Ribbentrop that war was not imminent 4. Meanwhile, Tom Holland highlights Hitler's obsession with image, even going so far as to doctor photographs of Stalin to remove cigarettes, reflecting his anti-smoking stance 5.

Hitler says, the signing of a pact is a solemn act which one does not approach with a cigarette dangling from one's lips.

--- Dominic Sandbrook

These actions illustrate the complex interplay of power, image, and deception within the Axis powers.