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German-Soviet Relations and the Anglo-Soviet Break, 1927

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2017

Harvey L. Dyck
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Extract

In May 1927 Sir Austen Chamberlain precipitated the first great international crisis of the post-Locarno period by denouncing the Anglo-Soviet trade agreement and severing Britain's diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. Although Germany was not directly involved, the dispute nevertheless was to have a profoundly disturbing effect on German-Soviet relations. By raising the possibility of a wide-ranging diplomatic, economic, and perhaps even military confrontation between London and Moscow, it strained Germany's diplomatic system, which rested on the Locarno Pact (1925) and the Treaty of Berlin (1926). Thus it posed some fundamental questions for the German Foreign Ministry: Were the policies associated with those agreements compatible with each other only in fair weather? Did Germany have the freedom to remain neutral if the dispute should deepen? In short, was it still realistic to believe that Germany could maintain equally intimate ties with London and Moscow? Because Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann had previously denned a balancing role as the sine qua non of Germany's international revival, the imbroglio soon led to a great debate in the Wilhelmstrasse. The issue on which it turned was, as a leading participant observed, “whether Germany's ties with Russia are worth enough to our present and future political interests so that it pays to assume the political expenses and risks involved in maintaining them.”

Type
Articles
Information
Slavic Review , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , March 1966 , pp. 67 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 1966

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References

1 Memorandum by Dirksen, Sept. 19, 1927, K281/K09754-60. The documents used in this essay will be cited in the following manner. The files of the Alte Reichskanzlei, deposited in the Bundesarchiv of the Federal Republic of Germany, Koblenz, will be identified by the file serial number, L617 (Alte Reichskanzlei, Russia, 1924-33). The files of the German Foreign Ministry are deposited in the Political Archives of the Foreign Ministry of the German Federal Republic, Bonn. They are of two kinds: those not microfilmed, which will be identified when cited; and those microfilmed, which will be identified by the following microfilm file serial numbers: 1841 (German Embassy in the Soviet Union, Political Relations between Germany and Russia); 2860 (Reich Foreign Minister, Russia, 1924-30); 4562 (State Secretary, Russia, 1924-30); 4829 (General Consul Schlesinger, Personal Correspondence, 1924-28); 5265 (Direktoren, Wallroth Papers: Trade Pact Negotiations, Politics, Economic Relations); 5462 (Direktoren, von Dirksen Papers: Russia, Border States, Political Memoranda, Various Secret Reports and Agent's Reports, Secret Reports of Rantzau, 1925-29); 6698 (Geheimakten, Russia, 1925-30); 7129 (Stresemann Papers, Political); K281 (Department IV, Russia: Political Relations between Russia and Germany, Secret, 1927-28); L337 (German Embassy in the Soviet Union, Secret). All of these files were used in the original. The microfilms are on deposit in the National Archives, Washington, and the Public Record Office, London.

2 See Carr, E. H., Socialism in One Country, 1924-1926 (London, 1964), III Google Scholar, Part 1, 24-34. For a Soviet interpretation see Volkov, F. D., Anglo-sovetskie otnosheniia, 1924-1929 (Moscow, 1958), p. 79–111.Google Scholar

3 Rantzau to Stresemann, March 9, 1925, L337/L100564-68.

4 Rantzau to the Foreign Ministry, Dec. 1, 1924, 5265/E317849-52.

5 Quoted in Freund, Gerald, Unholy Alliance: Russian-German Relations from the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to the Treaty of Berlin (London, 1957), p. 234.Google Scholar

6 Izvestiia, April 13, 1927.

7 Dirksen to the German ambassador in France, Hoesch, Jan. 12, 1926, 6698/H110936-43. Documentary material from files in East Germany is cited in Alfred Anderle,“Die deutschsowjetischen Vertrage von 1925/26,” Zeitschrift fur Geschichtstvissenschaft, V (1957), 471-502.

8 Memorandum by Rantzau entitled“Das 10-jährige Bestehen der Sowjetunion, Ein Ruck- und Ausblick,” Nov. 26, 1927, K281/K097502-509.

9 Stresemann to Sthamer, April 19, 1926, reproduced in Höltje, Christian, Die Weimarer Republik und das Ostlocarno-Problem 1919-1934 (Würzburg, 1958), pp. 254–56 Google Scholar. For the linkage between the achievements of Locarno and the Polish question see Erdmann, Karl Dietrich,“Das Problem der Ost- oder Westorientierung in der Locarno-Politik Stresemanns,“ Geschichte in Wissenschaft und Unterricht, VI (1955), 132–62Google Scholar. See also Korbel, Josef, Poland Between East and West: Soviet and German Diplomacy Toward Poland, 1919-1933 (Princeton, 1963), p. 159–80.Google Scholar

10 Stresemann to Rantzau, March 27, 1926, 2860/D556928-31.

11 Rantzau to the German Foreign Ministry concerning conversation with Chicherin, March 4, 1926, 2860/D556856-58; Rantzau to the German Foreign Ministry concerning conversation with Litvinov, May 1, 1926, 2860/D557508-509.

12 Rantzau to the Foreign Ministry, March 4, 1926, 2860/D556856-58.

13 Memorandum by Erich Wallroth entitled“Wesen und politische Bedeutung der russischen Wirtschaftskrise,” May 26, 1926, 5462/E380362-77.

14 Unsigned memorandum, probably by Schubert, Aug. 28, 1926, 4562/E157818-22.

15 Memorandum by Hey entitled:“Gegen Deutschland gerichtete Geheimdirektiven über Erteilung von Auslandsauftragen. Englische Kreditangebote,” May 19, 1927, Embassy Moscow: Department D, Special Folder (not filmed).

16 Memorandum by Dirksen, Feb. 12, 1927, 5265/E319167. See also memorandum by Dirksen, March 21, 1927, 6698/H114427-29. Commenting on the Anglo-Soviet dispute, the Center Party paper, Germania, of March 28, 1927, warned against continuing a seesaw policy between East and West:“If Europe is to recover, Poland and Germany belong together, not in opposition.“

17 Rantzau to Schubert, March 6, 1927, 2860/D558454-65.

18 Memoranda by Stresemann concerning conversations with Chicherin, Dec. 2, 3, 1926, 2860/D558166-201.

19 Memorandum by Schlesinger entitled“Die gegenwärtige Lage der Sowjetunion in ihrer Bedeutung für die deutsche Aussenpolitik,” Jan. 12, 1927, 6698/H105686-700.

20 Ibid.

21 Schubert to Rantzau, Feb. 19, 1927, 2860/D558379-86.

22 Rantzau to Schubert with the request that it be transmitted to Stresemann, March 6, 1927, 2860/D558454-65.

23 Before the rupture in May the Anglo-Soviet dispute was discussed with the British four times, once in Geneva between Stresemann and Chamberlain, and three times in Berlin between Schubert and British Ambassador Lindsay: 4562/E158202-203; 4562/E158220-21; 2860/D558446-53; 2860/D558481-84.

24 Wallroth to Rantzau, March 4, 1927, 5265/E317688-95; memorandum by Wallroth, March 14, 1927, 6698/H103778-83.

25 Memorandum by Trautmann entitled“Russland und England,” March 14, 1927, 6698/ H105784-98.

26 Stresemann to Rantzau, draft dispatch,“Ganz geheiml Ausschliesslich für Botschafter persönlich!” March 31, 1927, 6698/11105802-807.

27 Memorandum by Dirksen, March 10, 1927, 5265/E319128-38.

28 Early in 1927 Stalin said that war with Britain had to be reckoned with for the future but that there was little danger for 1927 (cited in Otto Hoetzsch,“Russlands aussen- , politische Lage und Aussenpolitik,” Osteuropa, Vol. II, February 1927, pp. 396-97). At the end of March the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Rykov, went even further to assert that the chance of war within the next one or two years was slim if“the present distribution of powers could only be maintained” (ibid., p. 397).

29 This memorandum was transmitted to the Soviet government after the Anglo-Soviet rupture, but its contents were disclosed earlier (memorandum by Wallroth, June 14, 1927, 5265/E319015-16).

30 Rantzau to Schubert regarding conversation with Litvinov, Feb. 26, 1927, 2860/ D558401-403.

31 Rykov to the Fourth Soviet Congress, April 17, 1927, in Degras, Jane, ed., Soviet Documents on Foreign Policy (London, 1952), II, 190.Google Scholar

32 Stresemann to various German missions, May 27, 1927, 2860/D558728-29.

33 Berliner Tageblatt, May 25, 1927; Kölnische Zeitung, May 25, 1927; Vorwärts, May 25, 1927. Even the organ of the Center Party demanded“unconditional neutrality” (Germania, May 25, 1927).

34 Extract from the minutes of a cabinet meeting, May 30, 1927, L617/194974-79.

35 Wallroth to Moscow Embassy, June 14, 1927, 2860/D558857-59; extract from minutes of a cabinet meeting, June 9, 1927, L617/195003-5004.

36 Sthamer to the Foreign Ministry, June 16, 1927, 2860/D558892-93.

37 Memorandum by Gregory of the British Foreign Office concerning conversation with Counselor of the German Embassy in London, May 25, 1927, 4562/E158835-39.

38 Position paper for the occasion submitted to Stresemann by Dirksen:“Leitsätze über die deutsche Stellungnahme zum englisch-russischen Abbruch,” June 12, 1927, 2860/ D558849-51.

39 Memorandum by Stresemann, June 15, 1927, 2860/D558876-82.

40 The Soviet note from Litvinov to the Polish minister in Moscow, of June 11, 1927 (cited in Degras, ed., II, 228-31), characterized the assassination as one“manifestation of the systematic and organized struggle against the USSR by dark forces of world reaction and the enemies of peace.” For a fuller discussion of the Voikov incident see Fischer, Louis, The Soviets in World Affairs, 1917-1920 (London, 1930), II, 739–42.Google Scholar A Soviet account is given in Voikov, pp. 324-44.

41 Memorandum by Stresemann, June 15, 1927, 2860/D558876-82.

42 Memorandum by Stresemann regarding conversation with Krestinskii, April 25, 1925, 7129/H147795-801.

43 See Hans W. Gatzke,“Von Rapallo nach Berlin: Stresemann und die deutsche Russlandpolitik,“ Vierteljahrshefte fiir Zeitgeschichte, IV (1956), 13, 29.

44 The assertion that it was the unanimous opinion of the“representatives of all of the states gathered here,” was made repeatedly, and the dispatch was studded with such words as“war danger,”“ultimatum,”“world opinion,” and“moral defeat” (Stresemann to the Foreign Ministry, June 15, 1927, 5265/E319007-9008).

45 Kopke to Stresemann, June 16, 1927, 2860/D558890.

46 Memorandum by Schubert, June 23, 1927, 4562/E158981.

47 Cited in full in Vossische Zeitung, June 24, 1927.

48 Private letter by Rantzau to Stresemann regarding a series of conversations with Chicherin, Aug. 27, 1927. The exact dates of the conversations are not given (1841/ H419295-300).

49 Memorandum by Rantzau, July 24, 1927, L337/L100554-60. This was a sequel to an earlier Soviet initiative, of April 1926, for increased military collaboration in arms production, to which the Reichswehr had not responded (memorandum by Kempner, April 1, 1926, 2860/0556967-71). For an excellent treatment of German-Soviet military collaboration, see Erickson, John, The Soviet High Command, 1918-1941 (New York, 1962), pp. 144-63, 247-82.Google Scholar

50 Rantzau to the Foreign Ministry, Sept. 5, 1927, 2860/D558955-56.

51 Rantzau to Stresemann, Sept. 12, 1927, 2860/D558977-78.

52 Stresemann to Rantzau, Sept. 14, 1927, 5265/E318932; Rantzau to Stresemann, Sept.5 »927« 5265/E318920-23.

53 Hoesch to German delegation, Geneva, Sept. 17, 1927, 2860/D558996-98; Rantzau to Foreign Ministry, Sept. 21, 1927, 2860/D559006-9009; memorandum by Wallroth, Sept. 26, 1927, 5265/E317519-24; Rantzau to Stresemann, Sept. 27, 1927, 2860/D559045-7.

54 Memorandum by Schubert regarding conversations with Stresemann and Rantzau, Aug. 5 and 6, 1927, 4562/E159068-70; Rantzau to the Foreign Ministry, Aug. 12, 1927, 6698/ H106689.

55 Memorandum by Dirksen, June 3, 1927, 6698/H106612-18; Wallroth to Rantzau, Dec. 31, 1927, 5265/E318789-91; Memorandum by Rantzau entitled“Das 10-jahrige Bestehen der Sowjetunion, Ein Ruck- und Ausblick,” Nov. 26, 1927, K281/K097502-509.

56 Memorandum by Dirksen, Sept. 19, 1927, K281/K097454-60.

57 Memorandum by Hahn, Aug. 8, 1927, 5462/E380438-52. Introducing his reply to Hahn's memorandum Dirksen wrote:“An evaluation of these statements seems important to me because they are designed to disturb our official Russian policy and to strengthen the diverging tendencies present in certain of the parties” (Dirksen to Schubert, Sept. 24, 1927, 6698/H112327-28).

58 Memorandum by Wallroth entitled“Russlands Selbstausschaltung und deren Folgewirkung fur Deutschland,” Nov. 20, 1927, 5265/E318838-53.

59 Memorandum by Hahn, Aug. 8, 1927, 5462/E380438-42.

60 Memoranda by Wallroth, Aug. 27, 1927, K281/K097443-46; Nov. 20, 1927, 5265/ E318838-53.

61 Memorandum by Dirksen, Sept. 19, 1927, K281/K097454-60.

62 Memorandum by Trautmann entitled“Russland und England,” March 14, 1927, 6698/ H105784-98.

63 Rantzau to Schubert, March 6, 1927, 2860/D558454-65.

64 Extract from minutes of a cabinet meeting, May 30, 1927, 11.617/1.194974-79.