EDIT: Here's the essay I just wrote, please anybody I need feedback!
(I don't want to send it to my teacher because its so bad
)
To what extent did Soviet foreign policy achieve its aims in the period 1917-1941? Soviet foreign policy was, for the most part, unsuccessful in achieving its aims during this period; however, the aims themselves were subject to change as a result of the surrounding circumstances. During the early years – 1917 to 1922 – the Communist theory of “permanent revolution” permeated foreign policy. From 1924 to the 1930s, the USSR’s leaders realised more that tensions were heating up and attempted to normalise relations with the West; and between 1937 and 1941, foreign policy was aimed at surviving the impending Second World War.
The October Revolution of 1917 occurred at a tumultuous time in world history, and the early leaders of the USSR saw this as a prime opportunity for a Communist revolution to sweep the globe. In 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed between the Germans and the new Soviet government. Vladimir Lenin’s right-hand man, Leon Trotsky, advocated for a stance towards this of “neither peace nor war”; this is often regarded as idiocy by historians, however in the circumstances, a Communist revolution in Germany was, in the Soviets’ view, approaching. This would have enabled the spread of “permanent revolution” throughout Europe and saved the Soviets from conceding the harsh conditions of the treaty, through which the Soviets lost a significant amount of land, including 1/3 of the land used for agricultural production. However, the revolution in Germany never occurred, and thus the Soviets failed to accomplish their aim of “permanent revolution” in 1918. In 1919, Soviet forces attempted to fulfil this aim in the invasion of Poland, marking the beginning of the Russo-Polish War. The war was intended to spark the “inevitable” worldwide revolution, however after more than 12 months of fighting the Poles defeated the Soviets, ending with the signing of the Treaty of Riga in March 1921. This defeat was a strong blow to Soviet foreign policy, effectively signaling the end of the fight for “permanent revolution”.
After Lenin’s death in 1924 and the ensuing power struggle between prominent Bolsheviks, Josef Stalin was recognised as the supreme leader of the USSR; and with him came his policy of “socialism in one country”. This marked the first change in the aims of Soviet foreign policy in the period 1917-1941, and the beginning of many attempts to normalise relations with the West; despite feeling like an “outcast” on the world stage, as a communist nation surrounded by capitalist ones. Treaties were signed with Persia and Afghanistan, among others, and a trade agreement titled the “Anglo-Soviet Trade Agreement” initiated trade between the United Kingdom and the USSR. However, Anglo-Soviet relations ground to a halt in 1926, when a letter purported to be from Grigory Zinoviev to the British government was published in a British newspaper – in the letter, “Zinoviev” prompted the government to revolt against the British monarchy. Anti-communist feeling within Britain then led to the British Labour government losing the 1926 election in a historical defeat, and despite attempts by the Soviets, relations never picked up again. This shows that despite the USSR’s best attempts to gain status among Western nations, their reputation as a communist country in a capitalist world limited their effectiveness, displaying that the aims of Soviet foreign policy were not achieved during this period.
From the mid-1930s, tensions in Europe began to increase, and in response, the USSR’s foreign office changed its aims for the second time; this time to avoiding war at all costs. In 1931, when the Japanese invaded Manchuria, the Soviets displayed this aim through the adoption of a policy of appeasement; not interfering with the Japanese for fear of war. This showed that the USSR was partially successful in achieving this aim of no war, however this was only one singular incident. In September 1938, the “Munich Crisis” occurred, where British and French leaders met with Hitler and conceded Czechoslovakia to the Nazis. The Soviets, allied with the British and French, were furious that they were not included in the negotiations, and relations with Western powers became strained. This, coupled with the rise of Hitler throughout the next year – 1939, led to the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact in August 1939, in a last-ditch effort to save the USSR from certain defeat at the hands of the superior Germans. While this appears to fulfil the Soviet foreign policy aim of avoiding war, the Nazis invaded the USSR as part of “Operation Barbarossa” in 1940, showing that Soviet foreign policy was again unsuccessful in achieving its aim.
Soviet foreign policy was unsuccessful in achieving its aims from 1917-1941, however the aims themselves changed twice during this time, to cope with circumstances at the time. Early foreign policy under Lenin emphasised the aim of worldwide revolution, while 1920s-30s foreign policy involved the instigation of somewhat normal relations with world powers. Finally, in the years leading up the Second World War, foreign policy was aimed at preventing another defeat like WW1, which had destroyed the USSR only 20 years earlier.
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