German-Soviet economic agreement
The German-Soviet Economic Agreement, the official credit agreement between the German Reich and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for Soviet raw material supplies to the German Reich , was negotiated on August 19, 1939 as a preliminary stage to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop .
The economic contract was revised twice, on February 11, 1940 and January 10, 1941.
Trade and Credit Agreement of August 19, 1939
Since 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union had been negotiating a trade and credit agreement that was intended to promote economic cooperation between the two countries. The Soviet Union needed machines and weapons and could supply Germany with food and raw materials. For Stalin, the German Reich would be integrated through economic cooperation, and for Germany the cooperation would avoid a threat in the East and at the same time reduce the effects of a potential British naval blockade. After lengthy negotiations, which were characterized by the multinational diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Polish crisis, on August 19, 1939 the contract officially called the Credit Agreement between the German Reich and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was signed as a precondition for the conclusion of the German -Soviet non-aggression pact concluded. Germany granted very favorable terms in this, since the attack on Poland was imminent and there was time pressure for the conclusion of the treaties. The treaty was the first step towards reviving the traditionally good trade relations between Germany and the Soviet Union.
Economic Agreement of February 11, 1940
After the joint occupation of Poland, the German-Soviet border and friendship treaty was signed on September 28th, which provided for the revival of economic relations by increasing deliveries. Because of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact and the occupation of eastern Poland by the Soviet Union, the USA and the United Kingdom had distanced themselves economically from the Soviet Union, so that the German Reich should step in as a supplier of capital and armaments. The German side was interested in the greatest possible Russian raw material deliveries (grain and mineral oil) as well as the transit of non-ferrous metals and rubber from East Asia in order to alleviate the British sea blockade.
The German side was surprised when the Soviets wanted to acquire a list of mainly military goods worth 1 to 1.5 billion RM in the subsequent economic negotiations. After lengthy negotiations, a contract worth around RM 625 million was signed on February 11, 1940.
content
The following quantities were planned for Soviet deliveries of food and raw materials within 18 months:
- 1,000,000 tons of wheat and vegetables worth 120 million Reichsmarks
- 900,000 tons of mineral oil, worth 115 million Reichsmarks
- 100,000 tons of cotton, worth 90 million Reichsmarks
- 500,000 t of phosphate
- 100,000 tons of chromium
- 500,000 tons of iron ore
- 300,000 tons of scrap
- 2400 kg of platinum , manganese ore , metals, etc.
The German Reich committed itself to deliver weapons and industrial goods of the same value within 27 months. Including the cruiser Lützow, a complete anti-aircraft battery, various tanks and aircraft as well as 300 machines for civil and military purposes.
In addition, the Soviet Union acted as a transit country for important goods, especially from Asia.
Economic Agreement of January 10, 1941
In October 1940, talks began about an affiliation contract, which was then concluded on January 10, 1941. Since the food and raw material supply situation for Germany was better due to the German conquests in the west, a very advantageous contract for the Reich in the amount of around RM 630 million could be negotiated with the Soviet Union over 18 months. Germany would receive 2.5 million tons of grain, 1 million tons of petroleum products and large quantities of valuable metals and in return would supply industrial goods.
impact
In principle, this paved the way for Hitler to go to war economically, without having to fear the effects of a new naval blockade , which contributed to the German defeat in World War I and forced approval of the Versailles Peace Treaty in 1919 .
The treaty was fulfilled by both sides until the attack on the Soviet Union in 1941.
literature
- Karl Heinz Blumenhagen: The German-Soviet trade relations 1939-1941: their significance for the respective war economy . Kovac 1998, ISBN 3-86064-571-4 .
- Heinrich Schwendemann : The economic cooperation between the German Reich and the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1941, an alternative to Hitler's Eastern program? . Akademie Verlag , Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-05-002382-1 , (dissertation).
- Manfred Zeidler : German-Soviet Economic Relations during the Hitler-Stalin Pact . In: From Peace to War . Ed. Dick Sheldon, Berghahn 1997, ISBN 978-157181-882-9 , pp. 95-112.
Web links
- Contract content (English)
- Description of the contract from Dr. Karl Schnurre , Head of the Eastern European and Baltic Section of the Foreign Office's Trade Policy Department, written 10 days after the contract was signed (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Lev Besymenski: The Soviet-German Treaties of 1939 . KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, “Forum” magazine.
- ^ Manfred Zeidler: German-Soviet Economic Relations during the Hitler-Stalin Pact . P. 98 f.
- ^ Manfred Zeidler: German-Soviet Economic Relations during the Hitler-Stalin Pact . P. 103.
- ^ Heinrich Schwendemann : Stalin's false calculation: The economic cooperation between the German Reich and the Soviet Union 1939-1941 . In: Was there a Stalin-Hitler pact? . Ed .: Christoph Koch, Peter Lang 2015, ISBN 978-3-631-66422-3 , p. 297 f.
- ^ Manfred Zeidler: German-Soviet Economic Relations during the Hitler-Stalin Pact . P. 103 ff.
- ^ Manfred Zeidler: German-Soviet Economic Relations during the Hitler-Stalin Pact . P. 105.
- ^ Manfred Zeidler: German-Soviet Economic Relations during the Hitler-Stalin Pact . P. 108.