How did the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact affect relations between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union?

The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, signed on August 23, 1939, served as a temporary measure of political and military expediency for both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.12

For Germany, the pact allowed Adolf Hitler to invade Poland without the immediate risk of a two-front war against Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. For the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin sought to avoid conflict with Germany while gaining time to rebuild the Red Army following internal purges. The agreement included secret protocols that divided eastern Europe into spheres of influence, facilitating the partition of Poland and the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states and parts of Romania.12

Despite these terms, the relationship remained rooted in mutual suspicion rather than genuine alliance. Hitler’s deep-seated anti-Bolshevism and his growing concern over Soviet territorial expansion—particularly near German-dependent oil fields in Romania—led him to view the pact as a temporary obstacle. The agreement effectively collapsed on June 22, 1941, when Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union without warning.21