Soviet-German rivalry for Turkey (1939–1941)

Abstract

This study is devoted to the analysis of the diplomatic confrontation between the USSR and Germany for influence over Turkey in 1939–1941. The objective of the work is to analyze the dynamics of SovietTurkish and German-Turkish relations, taking into account the economic, military-political and diplomatic factors that determined Turkey’s foreign policy on the eve and in the initial period of World War II. The objectives include the analysis of the evolution of Soviet- and German-Turkish relations in the 1930s, the study of the struggle of the great powers for the Turkish Republic and the assessment of the consequences of this rivalry for regional security and Soviet interests. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive and comparative approach to the analysis of the strategies of the USSR and Germany, including informal channels of influence — economic dependence, military cooperation, the presence of military advisers and propaganda campaigns, which distinguishes the work from isolated studies of Soviet- or German-Turkish relations. The methodology includes qualitative and quantitative content analysis of documents, diplomatic negotiations, publications and modern historiography. The study shows that despite Germany’s economic dominance in the 1930s, its political influence was limited by diplomacy, while the USSR, relying on historical friendship from the War of Independence, lost Turkey’s trust after making unacceptable demands for control of the Black Sea straits in 1939. After the defeat of France in 1940, Turkey moved towards a pragmatic rapprochement with Germany, seeking to maintain formal neutrality and avoid being drawn into the war. Soviet attempts to negotiate spheres of influence with Germany in 1940 failed, as Germany was unwilling to share influence in the Balkans and Turkey. By 1941, with the signing of the German-Turkish NonAggression Pact, Germany achieved de facto neutrality for Turkey, depriving the USSR of strategic advantages on its southern flank. Thus, Turkey, skillfully balancing between the blocs, retained its sovereignty.