Why did Nazi Germany betray the Soviet Union and break the German-Soviet treaty?
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact had been signed shortly before the German and Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. Despite their pact, both Germany and the Soviet Union were always strongly suspicious of each others inentions. After Germany entered the Axis Pact with Japan and Italy, it began negotiations about a potential Soviet entry into the pact. After two days of negotiations in Berlin from November 12-14, Germany presented a proposed written agreement for Soviet entry into the Axis. The Soviet Union offered a written counterproposal agreement on 25 November 1940, to which Germany did not respond. As both sides began colliding with each other in Eastern Europe, conflict appeared more likely, though they signed a border and commercial agreement addressing several open issues in January 1941. Stalin’s reputation contributed both to the Nazis’ justification of their assault and their faith in success. In the late 1930s, Stalin had killed or incarcerated millions of citizens during the Grea
