Editing Joseph Stalin (section)

=== 1939–1941: Pact with Nazi Germany ===
As a Marxist–Leninist, Stalin considered conflict between competing capitalist powers inevitable; after Nazi Germany [[Anschluss|annexed Austria]] and then [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|part of Czechoslovakia]] in 1938, he recognised a major war was looming.{{Sfn|Montefiore|2003|p=308}} He sought to maintain Soviet neutrality, hoping that a German war against France and the United Kingdom would lead to Soviet dominance in Europe.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1pp=220–221|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2pp=380–381}} The Soviets faced a threat from the east, with Soviet troops [[Soviet–Japanese border conflicts|clashing with the expansionist Japanese]] in the latter part of the 1930s, culminating in the [[Battles of Khalkhin Gol]] in 1939.{{Sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1pp=392–393|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2pp=163, 168–169}} Stalin initiated a military build-up, with the Red Army more than doubling between January 1939 and June 1941, although in haste many of its officers were poorly trained.{{Sfn|Khlevniuk|2015|pp=185–186}} Between 1940 and 1941 Stalin [[1941 Red Army Purge|purged the military]], leaving it with a severe shortage of trained officers when war eventually broke out.{{Sfn|Conquest|1991|pp=232–233, 236}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27337, Moskau, Stalin und Ribbentrop im Kreml.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|Stalin greeting German foreign minister [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]] at the Kremlin, August 1939]]
As Britain and France seemed unwilling to commit to an alliance with the Soviet Union, Stalin saw a better deal with the Germans.{{Sfn|Service|2004|pp=399–400}} On 3 May 1939, he replaced his Western-oriented foreign minister [[Maxim Litvinov]] with [[Vyacheslav Molotov]].{{Sfn|Nekrich|1997|p=109}} Germany began negotiations with the Soviets, proposing that Eastern Europe be divided between the two powers.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=220|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=166}} In August 1939, the Soviet Union signed the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop pact|Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] with Germany, a non-aggression pact negotiated by Molotov and German foreign minister [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]] with a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=221|2a1=Roberts|2y=1992|2pp=57–78|3a1=Service|3y=2004|3p=399|4a1=Khlevniuk|4y=2015|4p=166}} On 1 September, [[Germany invaded Poland]], leading the UK and France to declare war on Germany.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=222|2a1=Roberts|2y=1992|2pp=57–78|3a1=Khlevniuk|3y=2015|3p=169}} On 17 September, [[Soviet invasion of Poland|the Red Army entered eastern Poland]], officially to restore order.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=222|2a1=Roberts|2y=2006|2p=43}} On 28 September, Germany and the Soviet Union exchanged some of their conquered territories,{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=223|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2pp=402–403|3a1=Wettig|3y=2008|3p=20}} and a [[German–Soviet Frontier Treaty]] was signed shortly after in Stalin's presence.{{Sfn|Conquest|1991|p=224}} The two states [[Nazi–Soviet economic relations (1934–41)|continued trading]], undermining the [[Blockade of Germany (1939–1945)|British blockade of Germany]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=224|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=405}}

The Soviets further demanded parts of eastern Finland, but the Finnish government refused. The Soviets invaded Finland in November 1939, starting the [[Winter War]]; despite numerical inferiority, the Finns kept the Red Army at bay.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=228|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=403|3a1=Khlevniuk|3y=2015|3pp=172–173}} International opinion backed Finland, with the Soviet Union being expelled from the League of Nations.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=279|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=173}} Embarrassed by their inability to defeat the Finns, the Soviets signed an [[Moscow Peace Treaty|interim peace treaty]], in which they received territorial concessions.{{Sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=403|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=173}} In June 1940, the Red Army occupied the Baltic states, which were forcibly [[Occupation of the Baltic states|merged into the Soviet Union]] in August;{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=227|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2pp=404–405|3a1=Wettig|3y=2008|3pp=20–21|4a1=Khlevniuk|4y=2015|4p=173}} they also invaded and annexed [[Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina|Bessarabia and northern Bukovina]], parts of Romania.{{Sfnm|1a1=Brackman|1y=2001|1p=341|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=173}} The Soviets sought to forestall dissent in the new territories with mass repressions.{{Sfn|Khlevniuk|2015|p=170}} A noted instance was the [[Katyn massacre]] of April and May 1940, in which around 22,000 members of the Polish armed forces, police, and intelligentsia were executed by the NKVD.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=229|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=170}}

The speed of the German victory over and occupation of France in mid-1940 took Stalin by surprise.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=229|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=405}} He seemingly focused on appeasement in order to delay conflict.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=229|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=406}} After the [[Tripartite Pact]] was signed by the [[Axis Powers]] of Germany, Japan, and Italy in October 1940, Stalin proposed that [[German–Soviet Axis talks|the USSR also join the Axis alliance]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=231|2a1=Brackman|2y=2001|2pp=341, 343|3a1=Roberts|3y=2006|3p=58}} To demonstrate peaceful intentions, in April 1941 the Soviets signed [[Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact|a neutrality pact]] with Japan.{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=233|2a1=Roberts|2y=2006|2p=63}} Stalin, who had been the country's ''de facto'' head of government for almost 15 years, concluded that relations with Germany had deteriorated to such an extent that he needed to become ''de jure'' head of government as well, and on 6 May, replaced Molotov as [[Premier of the Soviet Union]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=234|2a1=Khlevniuk|2y=2015|2p=180}}