By his incredible mistake, the Nazi-Soviet pact, Stalin caused the war.
In fact Hitler himself didn’t want a world war, but was aware he was running the risk of world war with the aggression against the Poland. Hitler’s politics tactic was to seize the right moment to strike, sometime fronting high risks, but ever calculated.
Hitler actualy didn’t want a war with Wester alles, but he definitelly planned a big Crusade to the East( See “Main campf”).He just dreamed the West support him against Russia.
Never Hitler was before aware of risking the war like when he attacked Poland.
Yes, he was sure the British-French guaranties to Poles were phony. He hoped to capture the Poland without loud , just like he previously annexed the Austria and Chehoslovakia.
But now, thanks to the Nazi-Soviet pact, he was free to run the maximum risk. With an hostile Russia, he never could run the risk of a great war. He couldn’t do big moves.
What make us to think after the Pact the Hitler got the “frendly” USSR?Othervise he didn’t ordered to develop Barbarossa in mid 1940, right after fall of France.
The Anglo-French were courting Stalin like Hitler, but they couldn’t promise a free way in the east (Baltic States, Finland, Poland, Romenian Bucovina…) like Hitler cuold.
But this price, at the moment, was good for Hitler, not for Stalin.
The idea that Stalin wanted by this way to divert into the west or delay the nazi attack on Russia, doesn’t hold: anybody knew that after the western powers, it would come the time of Russia. And was not a good idea to help the future enemy rather then the hated capitalist powers, if these last had to “divert or delay” the future enemy; but just for this.
Well actualy it was serious lack of Stalin. In the USSR it was not a secret the close war with Germany. However , Stalin hoped the Western front should tied the Germany for a enough long time. But after the extremaly quick collapse of France and escape of British troops out of Europe- it was clear the Stalin has made a mistake.
The sabotage of the war carried in France by the French Communist Party, following the Comintern orders, indicates that nor “diverting or delaying” was the point.
And what was the point?
Do you seriously think that the the members of Comintern ( most of whom were the Jews) burned by disare of sabotage against France fighting the Nazi Germany?
Endeed it was the power that more persistly then anybody else care about resistence to Nazism. In Occuped France the Communist was the major anti-fascist power.
So, accepting the Hitler’s offers, in exchange of some territorial annexations, Stalin allowed Hitler to feel free at the shoulders, and starting (better: running the risk to start) the WWII.
Well if to be formally correct. Neither Hitler , nor Stalin has started the big war- it was Britain who declared war on Germany after attack of Poland.Althought it was PHONY war , but though…
This fact was almost launching the Allies against Russia. The Anglo-French high command was thinking to a plan (“Catherine”) to attack the Scandinavian peninsula, to stop the iron supply to the Germans and help Finland against Russia. Later anyway, remained only the idea of the invasion of Norway to stop the iron supply, anticipated by Germany.
But another secret project was on way: the bombing of the Soviet oil wells in Caucaso, by 100 Anglo-French bombers taking off from Syria with the complicity of Turkey (that requested some guarantees that now we can omit). This bombing should be done in mid july 1940: the fall of France stopped everything. But this fact could have changed the history of WWII like we know it now.
Both the “help to finland” or the “bombing raids over Caucaus” were nothing but pure political phony proclamations.This meant declaration a war on USSR.It should mean ONLY one thing- the German-Soviet alliance.
Do you seriously think the West was interested to provoke the USSR to join the Nazic Germany in war against Briatain/France?
Hitler couldn’t even dream about.
