Nazi and Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Definition
Also known as Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, this was an agreement between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union in 1939 where both countries agreed not to attack each other for ten years.
Analogy
Imagine two kids who don't really like each other but decide not to fight because there is a bigger kid (the rest of Europe) they both want to avoid conflict with. They even agree on how they would split their shared candy stash if that bigger kid ever leaves it unattended.
Related terms
Invasion of Poland: The event that marked the start of World War II when both Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, in accordance with their secret protocol in the Non-Aggression Pact.
Secret Protocol: A part of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact that divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence.
Operation Barbarossa: The code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, which broke the Non-Aggression Pact.
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