Question by Phil A: What date in 1939 did the USSR declare war against Germany ? Was it before or after Great Britain and France ?
I believe France and England declared about 2 days after the German invasion of Poland ?, but when exactly did the Soviet Union declare war against Germany ?
Did the USSR declare war at the same time Poland was invaded ? ie September 1st 1939 ?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Ilya
The USSR and Germany were allies until June 22, 1941 when Germany started “operation Barbabrosa” and launched a surprise attack on the USSR. In 1939 Germany attacked Poland from the West on Sept. 1st and just a few weeks later the USSR attacked Poland from the East. They divided up Poland and drew up new borders. This is the Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact. The USSR also got control off the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Finnish Karelia and the Rumanian Besarabia (which became Moldova).
USSR, instead of joining the allies to prevent Hitler’s aggression wanted a war. In fact they wanted to sit out and watch the Allies and the Axis exhaust themselves. Instead they were shocked at the rapid collapse of the French and the Brits in 1940 and realized too late they were face to face with the massive war machine of Nazi Germany.
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What do you think?
danny says
:-/ germany n ussr were never allies russia wanted to go to war with germany before britain or france but the resta the un wernt intrested so russia signed a none agresion treaty agreing not to invade each other and 2 share half o poland not allies at all
cp_scipiom says
The USSR did not declare war on nazi germany for one simple reason- in September 1939 the USSR and nazi germany were ALLIES
the nazis attacked Poland on September 1, 1939. The USSR attacked Poland on September 17, 1939- despite having a peace and friendship treaty in force with Poland. In the aftermath, the USSR had over 50 thousand Polish officers- reservists, scientists, university professors, policemen and politicians- murdered in the Katyn forest, Kharkow and other places. That's over and above the 3 milion Poles who were sent to Siberian gulags
Stalin remained Hitler's faithful ally till he was double-crossed in 1941. Stalin's reward for his loyalty to Hitler- major parts of Finland, Lithuania, Latvia. Estonia and Poland- still remain in the possession of Russia. The Russians – of course – choose to forget that part of history
no says
The Soviets declared war on Germany only after the Germans attacked the part of Poland that the Soviets had invaded.
Britain and France had declared war on Germany when the Germans Invaded Poland, but ignored the exact same invasion by the Soviets. They were rather "selective" in "who was an international aggressor and criminal". The Soviets gave the Germans a "clear shot" at half of Poland so they could invade the other half while the Brits and French blamed only the Germans. The Soviets got what they deserved at the beginning of the war, and much more than then deserved in the form of slave labor and war reparations afterward. They should have been treated just like the Nazis.
Bilbo says
They didn't decalre war until the Germans launched Operation Barabarossa in 1941 (the opening up of the Eastern Front – considered one of the big mistakes made by Hitler)
In 1939 the USSR were in a non-agression pact with the Nazis and occupied part of Poland – this point gets rather overlooked.
Also the USSR didn't declare war against Japan until after the destruction of Hiroshima in 1945.
Bill P says
The Russians didn't get involved until June, 1941, 21 months after the war began Even then they only declared against Germany because Germany invaded Russia.
Will says
Right before Germany invaded Poland they signed a ten year non-aggression pact with the Soviets. So no, the Soviets did not declare war on Germany in 1939. The Soviets didn't enter the war until June 22, 1941 when the Germans invaded the USSR (Operation Barbarossa).
Aine G says
I cannot believe you don't know that in 1939 USSR was ALLIED to Germany nad took part in the invasion of pPoland jointly with the Wermacht! this was an alliance which continued until the USSR was invaded by Hitler in 1941! My Polish friends have never forgiven russia for jointly invading their country with Hitler's Germany.
The Katyn massacre (mass murder of surrendered Polish officers) was a Soviet attrocity and war crime for which no one was ever brought to trial,
The USSR would have quite happily stood by and let the imperilists kill each other. Indeed just before the German invasion they had just signed a trade deal to supply Hitler's Germany with large amounts of war materiel such as Iron ore, food,etc