The Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and its Perception in Diplomatic Circles (1939–1941)

This article marks the 85th anniversary of signing of the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact and examines the origins of the agreement as well as the reactions of diplomatic circles both before and after its conclusion. Based on materials from Russian archives and documentary collections of the United States Department of State, the author analyzes how diplomats serving in the USSR, the United States, France, Japan and China, as well as politicians in these countries, perceived the Soviet–Japanese Pact. The first part of the article focuses on international reactions to the rapprochement between the USSR and Japan and to the negotiations that preceded the conclusion of the Neutrality Pact. The second part examines differing interpretations of the motives behind the Soviet–Japanese treaty and the responses it elicited abroad. Author concludes that attitudes toward the pact were ambivalent: while some observers regarded it as an important strategic step, others condemned it and interpreted it as the beginning of a new phase of aggression. With regard to the Soviet Union, the prevailing view was that Moscow agreed to the treaty in order to maintain stability in the Far East in light of the German threat. Japan’s participation in the agreement was largely perceived as a means of facilitating further expansion in Southeast Asia.

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