Editing Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact (section)

==Background==
After the [[Fall of France]] and then the expansion of the [[Axis Powers]], the [[Soviet Union]] wished to mend its diplomatic relations in the [[Far East]] to safeguard its eastern border and to concentrate on the [[European Theatre of World War II]]. On the other hand, the [[Empire of Japan]] was bogged down in a seemingly-interminable [[Second Sino-Japanese War|war against China]] and had rapidly-deteriorating diplomatic relations with the [[United States]]. Those factors made the Japanese seek an accommodation with the Soviet Union to improve its international standing and to secure the northern border of [[Manchukuo]] from a possible Soviet invasion.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

Soviet dictator [[Joseph Stalin]] was initially unaware of [[Adolf Hitler]]'s briefing to his generals that an attack on the Soviet Union by the European Axis Powers would let Japan overtly challenge the United States. That briefing was based on the belief that if such an attack occurred, the Soviet Union would be too preoccupied with fighting [[Nazi Germany]]. That would make Japan feel less threatened by any possible Soviet invasion of Manchukuo and allow Japan to have enough provisions and capabilities to start a war against the United States. The pact would allow both Japan and the Soviet Union to avoid fighting on multiple fronts.

Stalin believed that his "problems can be solved in a natural way if the Soviets and the Japanese cooperate". After concluding the nonaggression treaty, Stalin, in an unprecedented gesture, saw [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Japanese Foreign Minister]] [[Yosuke Matsuoka]] off at the train station. That was symbolic of the importance that Stalin, who rarely appeared before foreign diplomats, attached to the treaty. It also provided him with the occasion, in the presence of the entire diplomatic corps, to invite negotiations with Germany and to flaunt his increased bargaining power.<ref>Kissinger, Henry, "Diplomacy," page 365 and 366</ref>