История: факты и символы (Sep 2021)
GOING TO CHINA AND JAPAN: FOREIGN POLICY OF THE USSR IN THE FAR EAST IN THE CONTEXT OF PREPARATIONS FOR CONCLUSION OF THE SOVIET-JAPANESE PACT ON NEUTRALITY (1939-1941)
Abstract
The article is devoted to the analysis of the transformation of the Soviet foreign policy towards China in 1939-1941 under the influence of preparations for the conclusion of the Soviet-Japanese pact of neutrality. Based on analysis of current domestic and foreign research, the author reveals the relationship of China and Japan directions of Soviet foreign policy. The work is based on the official documents of the USSR People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.At the initial stage of World War II 1939-1941 the Soviet Union's policy in the Far East was characterized by increased attention to maintaining the balance of power in the region. It was dictated by the desire to avoid being drawn into a war on two fronts. This required adjusting the Soviet foreign policy towards China and Japan. In 1937-1939 at the initial stage of the Sino-Japanese War, the USSR provided large-scale military-technical and diplomatic support to the Republic of China, aimed at curbing Japanese aggression on the mainland. However, as the situation in Europe aggravated, the priority for Moscow became the provision of international legal guarantees for maintaining peace with Japan.In this article, the author assesses the state of Soviet-Chinese cooperation at the initial stage of World War II. Particular attention is paid to the interests and goals of the parties. The study revealed a contradiction between the desire of Chiang Kai-shek to involve the USSR in an open conflict with Japan and the Soviet policy of seeking a compromise with Tokyo. The article traces how the process of normalization of Soviet-Japanese relations on the eve of the signing of the neutrality pact affected the contacts of the USSR with the government of Chiang Kai-shek. The author reveals the relationship between the stabilization of Soviet-Japanese relations and the weakening of China's support in the war of resistance from the USSR.
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