Answer :
Final answer:
Stalin initially signed a pact with Hitler to protect the Soviet Union, leading to a partition of Poland. This cooperation fostered distrust between Stalin and Western leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt. Therefore, the statement in the question is true.
Explanation:
Understanding the Stalin-Hitler Pact and Its Aftermath
In August 1939, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin signed the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact with Adolf Hitler, wherein both nations pledged not to attack each other and agreed to divide Poland. This cooperation shocked many, as it was counterintuitive for a communist nation to align with a fascist regime. Although this pact appeared to establish peaceful relations, it was actually rooted in mutual self-interest; Stalin sought to protect the Soviet Union while delaying an inevitable conflict with Hitler, who desired territorial expansion without hostility from the East.
When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the USSR followed suit shortly after, revealing the secret agreement to partition Poland between them. This betrayal led to distrust between Stalin and Western leaders like Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt as they recognized the perilous implications of their alliance. As a result, the assertion that Stalin initially aligned himself with Hitler and only shifted allegiances after the German invasion is true.
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