ABSTRACT
In the spring of 1940, Allied forces were driven from the territories they had planned to occupy through the pretext of assistance to Finland. In June of that year, France collapsed ignominiously in the face of the German invaders and Britain’s own survival was under threat. The defeat of France meant that it was now unthinkable that Britain could score a military victory over Germany without an alliance with other parties. In June 1941, the British Government did indeed begin the diplomatic moves which would lead to an alliance with the USSR, one which would ultimately lead to victory, following Hitler’s ‘Barbarossa’ offensive. The existence of a common enemy, and the threat of possible destruction at the hands of the German forces, no doubt concentrated many minds, making alliance possible.
