>>21631
But for this, they needed France and Britain to attack Germany.
First the Soviet baited with the Spanish Civil War, but F n B signed a Non-Intervention Agreement and they kept to it. Poland was a much suitable bait, because F n B guaranteed her safety and promised they attack Germany if she attacks first.
So the Soviet baited Germany into attacking Poland, with he Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and it's implication that they will assist in the conquest of Poland. The Germans counted on them to attack Poland, they planned on it. The Germans also planned the invasion on the premise that France and Britain will attack them, they had to keep forces and war material/supplies in the back, especially that they thought after they defeated Poland together with the Soviet, they have to move forces back to west to fend off F n B and turn the defense there into an offense and defeat them too. Only after they saw that F n B isn't actively attacking on the west they turned to north first and made sure they will control Denmark and Norway. Therefore they only had just so much troops and supplies to keep up for a short time.
But the Soviet didn't attack, but waited. Waited for France and Britain actually doing something. But they didn't so they said, eh fuck it and finally invaded (after they secured an agreement with Japan) but by then the German troops there were exhausted.
This exhaustion should be examined, not an impossible idea, but were they really?

Huh, this took only one more post.