Collective Security Of The Soviet Union And Europe (1933-1935)

In the 1930s, the international peaceful surroundings was deteriorating gradually and the new World War was emerging. Because of the change of international situations and the orientation of her own strategic interests, the Soviet Union accordingly adopted the policy of collective security in Europe as foreign policy. This thesis will discuss the background in the formation of this collective security policy. The implementary process and influence of collective security policy will be clarified also.There are four chapters.In the first chapter, the thesis reviews the Peace Diplomatic Strategy of Soviet Union from 1920s to 1930s.Because of the Treaty of Rapallo, the Soviet-German Nonaggression Pact, the Soviet-French Nonaggression Pact, the Soviet Union kept the balance between German and Western countries. Thus, the embarrassing situations that asking only German for help was broke up and the Soviet Union could have more diplomatic choices.This second chapter mainly discusses the reasons for the formation of this collective security policy. The anti-Soviet policy after Hitler assuming the reins of German and the deterioration of Soviet-German relationship forced the Soviet Union to adjust the relationships with western countries such as France actively. After German exiting from disarmament congress and league of nations, the Soviet-French relationship became better and better. Therefore, the termination of Rapallo cooperation between German and Soviet, the gradual familiarity between France and Soviet are the primary reasons for the formation of this collective security policy.This third chapter analyzes the content of European collective security. In the end of 1933, the Soviet Union proposed the policy of collective security. The policy suggested Soviet Union establish the mutual defense league against German on the basis of close cooperations between Soviet, France and their eastern european neighboring countries such as Poland. In Jan, 1934, the policy of collective security was confirmed in the Stalin's report of The 17th congress of The Soviet Communist Party (Bolshevik).The fourth chapter mainly discusses the process and influence of European collective security. From 1934 to 1935, Soviet and France took a lot of diplomatic actions to establish Eastern Pact, but this pace failed finally in the result of rejections from German and Poland. Furthermore, the mutual treaty between Soviet and France was only limited to paper. From 1933 to 1935, Soviet and France didn't achieve the European collective security system, which means they lost the best opportunity to establish the system. After that, the gaps between the Soviet Union and western countries (Britain and France) increased gradually. Thus, their diplomatic pathways certainly departed from the policy of collective security in Europe.