Eastern policy of Soviet Russia and Weimar Germany: a comparative analysis (1919–1925)

This article examines the Eastern vector of the foreign policy of Soviet Russia (later the USSR) and Weimar Germany in the period 1919–1925. The study covers the years from the end of the First World War to the signing of the Locarno Treaties and analyzes the political, economic, and ideological factors that led both states to turn toward the East in conditions of post-war international isolation. Particular attention is paid to Soviet foreign policy, which combined ideological objectives with pragmatic state interests. The article explores Soviet relations with Turkey, Persia, and Afghanistan and considers the role of the Comintern in the implementation of foreign policy goals. It is argued that the Soviet leadership regarded the Eastern direction as a means of strengthening security and improving the country’s international position. The study also examines the policy of Weimar Germany. For German policymakers, the East was closely connected with relations with Soviet Russia. Germany viewed cooperation with Moscow as a means of strengthening its international position. A central place in the article is given to the Treaty of Rapallo of 1922, which marked an important stage in Soviet-German rapprochement and contributed to the development of political and economic cooperation. The article examines the significance of Soviet-German cooperation for international relations during the first half of the 1920s. It concludes that, despite ideological differences, Soviet Russia and Weimar Germany used the Eastern direction as an instrument for overcoming international isolation and defending their national interests. The importance of diplomacy is emphasized.