The Treaties of Non-Aggression and Neutrality Between the U.S.S.R. and the Baltic States.

As already recorded above, in spite of her repeated proposals, before 1932, the U.S.S.R. succeeded in concluding a Pact of Neutrality and Non-Aggression only with Lithuania. This Treaty had been signed as far back as September 28, 1926. All the other Baltic States under various pretexts refused to accept these Soviet peace proposals. But in 1932 their foreign policy underwent a certain change. This change may be explained to some extent by the improvement which had taken place in French-Soviet relations since the end of 1931. In 1932 (in November), when Heriot headed the French Government, a French-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression and Neutrality had been signed. Heriot, personally, played a very important role, both in the improvement of French-Soviet relations and in the conclusion of this Pact.

The change for the better in the foreign policy of France and the acute sharpening of Polish-German relations also led Poland to sign a Polish-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression and Neutrality on July 25, 1932. The Baltic States followed the example of Poland, just as they had followed the latter earlier. Having refused to conclude Pacts of Non-Aggression when Poland refused to conclude such a Pact, they now first agreed to negotiations and finally to the conclusion of corresponding Pacts. In 1932 Pacts of Non-Aggression and Neutrality were signed with Latvia (February 5, 1932), Finland (January 21, 1932), and Estonia (May 4, 1932). Simultaneously with these Treaties, conciliation Conventions laying down the procedure for the solution of questions in dispute were also signed.

The events leading up to the conclusion of these Treaties once again emphasised the fact that whilst the Soviet Government did everything possible to strengthen peace relations with her Baltic neighbours, the Governments of the latter not only refused to meet the Soviets halfway, but sabotaged every Soviet peace proposal.

Works of the former Soviet government or other Soviet legal entities published before January 1, 1954 are in the public domain in Russia. These materials are intended for personal and academic research use. Please cite relevant web link as the source in reuse and citation. The Soviet account of historical events and their circumstances contained herein cannot be viewed as factual or objective.
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