German-Soviet Aeronautical Cooperation, 1919-1939

What is it about?

Between 1919 and 1933 the German and Soviet governments cooperated on a wide range of military and industrial programs. Chief among these was cooperation in the field of aviation and aeronautical development. This cooperation materially assisted both countries at a time when they were regarded as international pariahs. It enabled Germany to maintain a robust aeronautical infrastructure and modernized Soviet Russia's nascent aeronautical industry. The cooperation thus benefitted both partners, but the increasing tension between Germany and Russia, particularly after the rise of Stalin and Hitler, doomed it to eventual cancellation in 1933.

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Why is it important?

The successful "masking" of international cooperation between Germany and Russia in the early to mid interwar period anticipated more recent examples of covert arms assistance between rogue nations, including contemporary examples in Asia and the Middle East.