Stalin’s Foreign Policy

Lenin’s Foreign Policy

Hoped at first to spark and then expand/spread Communism to Europe... set up
Comintern in 1919.

After failure of attempted Communist Revolution in 1918 in Germany and Austria, he

realized that this would be difficult.

Decided on a policy of promoting Revolution while accepting reality also and trying to
forge a good relationship with Western Europe.

Called it a policy of Peaceful Coexistence

Russia and Germany found themselves isolated (outcasts) after WWI – excluded from
Versailles Conference: both signed the Treaty of Rapallo, 1922, normalized relations
between them. (evidence of peaceful co-existence)

Signed a trade agreement with Britain, which became the first country to recognize the
new Soviet Regime.

Signed commercial and non-aggression pacts with the Baltic states in 1923

BY 1924, the USSR had regular relations with the chief Western powers – except for the
USA, which refused to recognize the USSR

He hadn’t quite given up on his dream of international socialism.

He still quietly promoted international communism through the Comintern/ Third

International – with its headquarters in Moscow, which funded and supported
international Revolutionary propaganda and activity.

Lenin combined Peaceful Coexistence with the discreet promotion of International

Socialism

Stalin’s Foreign Policy; Peaceful Coexistence

He eventually adopted the Foreign Policy of the right against the left – Socialism in One
Country: it was pragmatic, and he defined it as patriotic/nationalistic (the great USSR
could do it alone)

Thompson says that he took a cautious and conservative approach to foreign policy:
conciliatory diplomacy helped to guarantee the short term security of the Soviet Union.
He felt that promoting international communism was counter productive; would interfere
with his plans for rapid Industrialization and Modernization; would only encourage
European countries to retaliate with trade embargoes, at a time when the USSR needed
them to buy its grain and sell her machinery.

He didn’t quite disband the Comintern, though, he just ensured it was less assertive or
inactive than under Lenin, instructing it to do nothing drastic, to not give the West an
excuse to invade the USSR – treated it as a branch of Soviet foreign office.

Tucker reminds us that Socialism in One Country does not involve the abandoning of
International Socialism, just shelving it.

Hoped for Peaceful Co-existence, like Lenin

But he was preparing for an eventual showdown with the West/anti-Communist
Countries? Anticipated eventual invasion from the West to overthrow the Soviet system.

One of his major goals was militarization through industrialization and collectivization…
he preached that survival long term depended on militarization.

He continued to build on the relationship with Germany from the Rapallo Pact (trade,
German army trained in USSR).

He continued the normalization of the relationship with other countries, started by Lenin
– except USA

Temporary setback when Britain broke off diplomatic relations in 1927 (Baldwin’s
Conservative govt.) after the so-called “Zinoviev Letter” (encouraging British
Communists to infiltrate Labor Unions and promote Communism during the General
Strike of 1927) – but relationship restored by McDonald’s Labor administration in 1929.

Tucker calls Stalin’s focus on Conciliatory Policy in the 20s as “Hypercaution” – says he
showed “an anxious concern for the maintenance of international peace.” He needs other
countries for industrialization.

USSR also collaborated with Leageu of Nations efforts to promote cooperation and peace

Nov. 1927 the USSR deputy commissar for foreign affairs, Litvinov, presented Soviet
proposals to the League for immediate and complete disarmament among all nations to a
League sponsored international conference in Geneva. No one takes them seriously,
Soviet Union can say “We tried to be a peace loving nation” and they get credibility for
proposing it.

Tucker says that it was a utopian idea (and probably not a genuine proposal), with no
chance of adoption – turned down. (Not even Soviet Union would have truly be in favor
of the proposal).
But Tucker says it benefited the USSR in two ways:
1) Advancing the concept of the USSR in a favorable light before world public opinion,
demonstrating the peace loving nature of socialism
2. When West rejected the proposal the USSR could label the Western arm control talks
as hypocritical.

Slight set-back to Stalin’s perception was the Treaty of Locarno – between France and
Germany, respecting each others borders, and promising not to attack each other – and
the acceptance of Germany into the League of Nations in 1925.

Feeling isolated, he signed agreements with France and the Czechs promising mutual
assistance if one of them was attacked.

In 1928, the USSR ratified the Kellogg Briand pact “outlawing war as an instrument of
national policy” – and took the lead in putting the treaty into effect among its neighbors,
signing non-aggression pacts with the Baltic States, Poland and Finland.

1930 USSR signed non-aggression pacts with the Baltic states of Poland and Finland.

Ultimate in Peaceful Cooperation for Stalin was recognition from the USA in 1933 and
admission to the League of Nations in 1934.

USSR and USA

-USA/USSR recognition agreement of 1933: USSR to repay pre-1917 debts to USA, to
cease seditions propaganda against the USA, not to seek damages by US involvement
with Whites in Russian Civil War.

-FDR hoped for trade agreements (any trade partner was a good one – Depression) and
protect Open Door in China by co-operation with USSR against Japanese expansion.

Stalin also hoped to counterbalance increasingly aggressive Japanese policies in East

Asia (invasion of Manchuria), and maybe US loans.

USSR AND CHINA

Stalin discouraged Communist Revolution in China.

Civil War in China between the Nationalists/ Kuomintang/Chiang or Jiang vs.

Communists/Mao

Nationalists and Communists had co-operated to defeat war lords, Lenin had encouraged
this and sent military assistance – he hoped they would combine to form a left wing
government but Jiang turned on Communists after defeat of war lords in 1927.
His new Nationalist govt. terrorized his former Communist allies: the Shanghai Massacre
almost wiped them out, with just a small number of Communists, inc. Mao, escaping into
hiding in the countryside.

Under Mao the Communist regrouped and rebuilt and basically from 1927 to 1949
Nationalists and Communists engaged in a Civil War.

Jiang’s government – betrayed its promises to establish Democracy, re-distribute land –

undemocratic and corrupt.

Mao/Communists expanded as peasants became disillusioned with Jiang’s govt. Mao

divided land in areas of Communist control, attracting more peasant support.

Mao began to develop his own brand of Communism in these years; flexible, adapting
Marx’s idea, like Lenin incorporating peasants as a revolutionary group, then focusing
exclusively on them.

Civil war: Mao used guerrilla warfare tactics:

According to Marx, Russia was not ready but Lenin wanted it in his time.

Mao’s sympathy is with the peasants.

Jiang launched an all out attack on the key Communist base in the South, in 1933, with
army of 700,000

Forced Communists to undertake the Long March, over a journey of 6,000 miles, with
100,000 of his followers – approx. 10,000 survived.

Mao builds a base in North West and expands his Red Army and movement again

Civil War suspended during Japanese invasion; first Manchuria, then East Coast of
China… Asian Holocaust/Rape of Nanjing

Fought Japanese together with $1.5 billion in aid from the USA: Nationalists actually
fought few battles against the Japanese, saving themselves for the war with the
Communists after WWII ended.

Communists emerged as the real heroes of victory over Japan.

Civil war resumes in 1945: US tried to mediate, gave $2b more in aid to KMT,
encouraged cooperation with CCP.

Mao triumphed in 1949 over increasingly unpopular govt. Jiang fled to Taiwan – Mao set
up People’s Republic of China – Jiang set up Republic of China, with US assistance.
Mao proceeded to introduce Communism – nationalized land, formed huge collectives…
little industrialization, modernization, little improvement in lives of peasants, crop
failures, famine, death, of 20m from famine…

Later Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976, renewed effort to established Communism, purify

nation of anti-Communists… likes Stalin’s Purges…

Stalin’s attitude to Communism in China

From 1927 Stalin urged the Chinese Communists, through the Comintern, to Continue to
collaborate with Nationalists, even in spite of the Shanghai Massacre – did so again after
Japanese invasion, and again after Japanese were expelled, during the renewed Civil War.

Judge and Landon “Moscow, having invested its hopes in the KMT, insisted that the
CCP should maintain the alliance in spite of Chiang’s persecution. This callous Soviet
pragmatism, which would manifest itself repeatedly in the course of the next several
decades, created a legacy of resentment and distrust on the part of the Chinese
Communists, towards their Soviet mentors.”

Stalin gave little or no assistance to the CCP in the Civil War, even signed a Treaty of
Friendship with the Nationalists govt. of Jiang.

Even when Mao triumphed, Stalin choose not to recognize Mao’s regime at first, sending
the Soviet ambassador to follow the Nationalist govt. after it moved to Canton.