USSR's Links with European Powers in 1920s

In the 1920s, the USSR made significant efforts to establish links with other major European powers, facing a mix of successes and failures in the process.

Failures:
1. The exclusion of Russia from the Versailles Treaty due to the signing of the Brest Litovsk Treaty hampered the USSR's attempts to build links with the Western powers. This exclusion created mistrust and resentment towards the Soviet state.
2. The failure at the Genoa Conference was driven by issues such as French demands for the USSR to honor debts from the Tsarist era. This underscored existing financial and political tensions between the USSR and major European powers.
3. The general suspicion of communism as an expansionist ideology, heightened by events like the Spartacist risings in Germany, hindered the USSR's efforts to establish meaningful relationships with Western powers.
4. The Zinoviev letter of 1924 damaged relations with Britain, as the new Conservative government led by Stanley Baldwin adopted a cooler stance towards the USSR, ultimately leading to the break-off of diplomatic relations in 1927.

Successes:
1. The USSR achieved success in establishing trade agreements with major European powers. The Anglo-Soviet trade agreement of 1921 and the Rapallo Pact with Germany were notable achievements that strengthened economic ties between the USSR and Western powers.
2. The USSR's efforts to improve relations with Germany through military training exercises following the failure of the Genoa Conference demonstrated a pragmatic approach to foreign policy.
3. The establishment of a general Anglo-Soviet Treaty in 1924 marked formal recognition of the USSR by Britain, signaling a diplomatic success for the Soviet state.
4. The incoming Labour government of 1929 took a positive step by establishing permanent diplomatic relations with the USSR, further enhancing diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Overall, while the USSR faced significant obstacles in establishing links with major European powers in the 1920s, the successes achieved in trade agreements, military cooperation, and diplomatic recognition indicate a moderate level of success in Soviet foreign policy. The challenges posed by historical grievances and ideological suspicions were partially mitigated by pragmatic approaches to diplomacy and economic cooperation.