In a Kremlin room in August 1939, on one side stand French and British generals, arrived on an emergency mission; on the other, the Soviets, cold and immobile. On the table is a proposal for a military alliance against Nazi Germany, which was clearly preparing for war. But no one truly trusts anyone. The silent protagonist of this crisis is Joseph Stalin, who, after internal purges and years of diplomatic isolation, observes Europe, trying to figure out who was buying time and who had betrayed first.

The weakest point is Poland. The Polish government, led by Foreign Minister Józef Beck, fears the USSR as much as Germany. And not without reason, because the Soviet Union historically claimed territories in the east, inhabited by Belarusians and Ukrainians. For Warsaw, the idea of ​​allowing the Red Army to enter Poland "to defend it" is unacceptable, because it would mean opening the door to a potential occupier. Meanwhile, France and the United Kingdom are desperately searching for a solution.
The French government of Édouard Daladier knows that without the USSR, Germany cannot be contained in the east. But without Poland, the USSR will not move. The Soviets propose that, in the event of a German attack, the Red Army would enter Poland to fight the Wehrmacht. But the Polish response is clear: no Soviet soldier should enter its territory, under any circumstances. And this puts everything on hold. In Moscow, Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov waits, but behind the scenes, Stalin is already considering another path. If an alliance with the West was not possible, when it became clear that Poland, France, and the USSR would be unable to coordinate, Stalin took a radical decision. On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union signed the pact with Germany. It was the opposite of the failed alliance: not a front against Hitler, but a non-aggression pact with Hitler, dividing Central and Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
A few days later, on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and France and the United Kingdom declared war. But the axis that could have blocked everything (Paris, Warsaw, Moscow) no longer existed. World War II was born not only of aggression but also of a failed alliance.