September 17, 1939: The Soviet Union's entry into World War II - An evaluation from historical and human-rights perspectives

In opposition to the commonly held view that the Soviet Union entered the w ar only after having been attacked by Germany on 22 June 1941, this article maintains the Soviet Union entered World War II on 17 September 1939 when it invaded Poland. The author shows that the German-Soviet Pact of 1939 was determined by national interests, especially on the Soviet side, and gives new details describing how Germany and the Soviet Union collaborated to cr ush Poland. Furthermore, this new material also shows how readily the Sovie t Union supported Germany in its continuing war against Great Britain. Part icularly significant was the logistic support the German navy received. Fin ally, the writer supports his main point, that the nature of Soviet foreign policy changed "in the early dawn of 17 September 1939," by showing that i t violated international law.