As most people know,after Pearl Harbour,there was a lot of Lend Lease going via the North Pacific to Wladivostok from the US West Coast(for obvious reasons:mainly by Soviet ships). My question now is :was there any trade between september 1939 and june 1941 between Britain and the SU ?How much ?By Soviet ships?Via Murmansk,or between Vancouver and Wladivostok ?
What I'm going to say is completely devoid of any ground, but I'm not aware of any trade between the SU and the CW at the time when the III Reich was the preferred partner. Anyone can shed some light?
Just having a look through here & cant find any trade agreements betwen UK & USSR. A Calendar of Soviet Treaties, 1917-1957 - Robert M. Slusser, Jan F. Triska - Google Books A Calendar of Soviet Treaties, 1917-1957, Volume 1917 By Robert M. Slusser, Jan F. Triska I'd have thought the UK would have had a trade embargo on USSR during the Winter War, can't find anything at the moment though. UK was thinking of sending troops to aid the Finns & backed the British Volunteers who went so I can't see them trading with USSR. That is just an opinion not backed with hard evidence .
Until the Germans invaded the SU they were in a Non Aggression Pact. The UK regarded the Russians as an 'enemy' with whom it was not yet at war. It is unlikely that the UK would have traded with the SU and conversely, it supplied Finland with ammunition, weapons and other equipment, in order to aid Finland's fight against the SU - as reported by Juho Niukkanen, Finland's Defense Minister, during the Winter War: 20 - torpedoes 450 - mines 12 - 152mm mobile naval guns 25 - 114mm howitzers and 25,000 rounds 24 - 76mm anti-aircraft cannon, and 72,000 rounds 18 - 40mm anti-aircraft cannon and 36,000 rounds 24 - 13mm anti-aircraft cannon and 72,000 rounds 200 - 14mm anti-panzer rifles 28 - tractors 20,000,000 - rifle bullets 10,000,000 - pistol bullets 40,000 - hand grenades 50,000 - "sympathy" uniforms bombs, field kitchens, tents, communication equipment, etc. 33 - Gloster Gladiator aircraft 12 - Hurricane aircraft 17 - Lysander reconnaissance aircraft 24 - Blenheim bomber aircraft 230 - volunteers 4 - torpedo boats (Not received) 30 - 84mm field cannon Source: The Axis Forum. Best, Steve.
I know that the Molotow-Ribbentrop pact had adverse results on the British-Soviet relations (operation Pike),but,money has colour nor odour,and,both countries needed to import and export . Both countries were doing business before the war,although the war was hindering British exports,would the trade between both countries suddenly cease ? In 1933,42.5 %of the Soviet import was coming from Germany,and 8.8% from Britain .In 1935,it was 9 % from Germany and 18.8% from Britain .I have no figures for 1939,but,I would be surprised ,if suddenly the Soviet import from Britain was stopping .
LJ You may find this newspaper report on British exports in 1940 of interest: 03 Feb 1940 - DRIVE FOR TRADE. BRITISH EXPORTS. Council Appoin...
Meanwhile,I have found the following (from:Historical data:1900-1960:as single document) British imports in 1938:4.288 billion $,of which 71 million from the SU,the Soviet exports being 251 million British Exports in 1938:2.443 billion $,of which 53 million to the SU . The question is :while the British exports to the SU were only 2.17 % of total British exports,could Britain afford to stop (for political reasons:the M/R pact) to stop the trade with the SU ?If this trade would stop,who would benefit ? Maybe Germany ? And,who would most suffer if the trade was interrupted:Britain,or the USSR?
