Your Job:
You are the representative for the Soviet Union. It is your job to research
and report on the events leading up the Soviet Union's entrance into WWII and
the events that brought them into the war. Here are some questions to guide
your research. Was the Soviet Union an aggressor or where they defending
themselves at the beginning of the war? If they were aggressors, who did
they attack and why? If they were taking a defensive position, who attacked
them and why? What was the Soviet Union's rold in the Non-Agression Pact?
Whose side was the Soviet Union on at the beginning of the war? Most
importantly, can the Soviet Union take any blame for causing WWII?
Internet Links
This site provides some information on the details of the non-aggression pact
the USSR signed with Germany as well as some brief information on the USSRss
wars with Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005156
An article with good information on why Stalin entered into the pact when
what he really wanted was an antifascist alliance with England.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSnazipact.htm
Here is some information on the Soviet Union's reasons for going to war with
Poland.
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6587
This is a great article about the Winter War between the Soviet Union and
Finland.
http://countrystudies.us/finland/19.htm
Here is some information on the occupation of the Baltic States. Read the
first section titled "History of the Occupation" paying special attention to
the Soviets occupation of the states.
http://en.allexperts.com/e/o/oc/occupation_of_baltic_republics.htm
This is a history of Latvia. Read the 13th paragraph of this section to
learn about the Soviet Union's arrest, deportation, and murder of thousands
of Latvian citizens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia#History
This is a link to information on life in Estonia under the USSR. Pay
attention to atrocities committed during the WWII years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonia#Under_the_USSR
Why did the Soviet Union eventually side with the Allies?
http://zhukov.mitsi.com/Barbarossa.htm