Final answer:
Germany signed a neutrality pact with Russia known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939, which included a secret agreement to divide Poland, allowing for the invasion of Poland and the start of World War II. The pact was a strategic move by both nations to secure their interests and avoid a two-front war, even though neither nation trusted the other.
Step-by-step explanation:
Germany declared a neutrality pact with Russia known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which was signed on August 23, 1939. Under this pact, both nations agreed not to attack each other and secretly included a protocol to divide Poland between them. This agreement enabled Germany to launch an invasion of Poland from the west while the Soviet Union did the same from the east. Ultimately, this pact allowed for the start of World War II by eliminating the threat of a two-front war for Germany and ensuring Soviet neutrality as Germany took initial aggressive actions in Europe.
Despite the official terms of the pact, neither Germany nor Russia truly trusted each other and both had larger ambitions. The pact served as a strategic play by Hitler to secure his western front and by Stalin to gain time to prepare the USSR for an eventual conflict. It was Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, that sparked the beginning of World War II, and it led to the eventual breakdown of the pact when Germany launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union, recognizing that Stalin also had ambitions in Eastern Europe.
Furthermore, the pact was integral for Germany to secure its territorial conquests and to form political alliances, notably with Italy, while preparing for its broader military campaigns in Europe. It helped to assure Germany's territorial ambitions at a time when the balance of global power was precarious and the threat of a multi-front war loomed large.