ABSTRACT
The Soviet Union, through Maxim Litvinov, had consistently rejected the French demand that some type of security arrangement must precede disarmament. Litvinov, moreover, had refused to cooperate with some early efforts to bind the disarmament conferees through a definition of aggression. The rise of Hitler doubtless spurred the Soviets to change their policy, but it must be repeated that for a long time, Litvinov had been quite unsure about the future of Soviet-German relations—the revelations of the Papen proposal to France particularly causing grave concern. Litvinov met with Cot, who had arrived in Moscow after touring Soviet aeronautical factories and observing Soviet air maneuvers. Litvinov then revealed the reasons for the Soviets’ conciliatory policy: They wanted a Soviet-US nonaggression pact in the Pacific. Litvinov never made any similar acknowledgment to US officials and, as mentioned, insisted on a “loan” for Moscow.
