On August 23, 1939, Germany, under Adolf Hitler, and the Soviet Union, under Joseph Stalin, signed a treaty called the German-Soviet Nonaggression pact. To summarize, the two nations agreed to not take or support military action against each other either directly or indirectly, as well as dividing eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. The pact was supposed to last for 10 years, with an automatic 5 year renewal unless either party stated otherwise within 1 year of the pact's expiration. However, on June 22, 1941, Germany broke the treaty by invading the Soviet Union without warning.
This pact allowed Germany to invade Poland without having to fight the Polish, English, French, and Soviets, at the same time. For the Soviets, it gave them time to build up their military, and not have to fight Germany without the aid of England or France. The Soviet Union had tried and failed to reach a treaty with England and France, until Stalin finally fired his Foreign Minister, Maksin Litvinov, and hired Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov, who soon began negotiating with Germany.
This was the beginning of the second world war in Europe.
Sources: German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact | Encyclopedia Britannica, World War II Timeline | National Geographic
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