Northern Eurasia 1941: Eve of Barbarossa

Following their treatment by the Soviets, Finland and Romania fell into alignment with the Germans. By June 1941, after overrunning the Balkans, Germany was dominant in continental Europe and massing its forces on the Soviet border.

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Main Events

2 Aug 1940 Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic formed ▲

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic formed in wikipedia

3–9 Aug 1940 Soviet Union annexes Baltic states ▲

Soviet Union annexes Baltic states in wikipedia

27 Sep 1940 Tripartite Pact ▲

Joachim von Ribbentrop of Nazi Germany, Galeazzo Ciano of the Kingdom of Italy, and Saburō Kurusu of the Empire of Japan signed the Tripartite Pact in Berlin, capital of Germany. The 10 year Pact recognized the right of Germany and Italy to establish a new order in Europe while Japan did so in Greater East Asia; it also compelled the contracting Powers to come to the aid of any one of them should they be attacked by a Power not presently involved in either World War II in Europe or the Sino-Japanese War (implicitly making it a defensive pact against the United States and the Soviet Union). in wikipedia

18 Feb–22 Jun 1941 Prelude to Silverfox ▲

Following the 1939–40 Winter War with the Soviet Union and otherwise deprived of allies, Finland secretly began establishing closer military ties with Germany. In December 1940 Erich von Buschengen, chief of staff of the German Army of Norway visited Finland to initiate planning of German–Finnish operations against the Soviet Union. In mid-February 1941 German advisors arrived in Helsinki, with troops beginning to move into northern Finland via neutral Sweden later that month. in wikipedia

6 Apr–1 Jun 1941 Germany intervenes in Balkans, conquering Greece and Yugoslavia ▲

Germany intervenes in Balkans, conquering Greece and Yugoslavia in wikipedia

13 Apr 1941 Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact ▲

The Empire of Japan signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, safe-guarding both nations against a war on multiple fronts. The treaty was signed in Moscow by Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka and Ambassador Yoshitsugu Tatekawa for Japan and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov for the Soviet Union. At the same time, the Soviet Union pledged to respect the territorial integrity and inviolability of Manchukuo, while Japan did the same for the Mongolian People’s Republic. in wikipedia