Answer – The Soviet Union joined the Allies because Nazi Germany launched a campaign to invade the country in June 1941.

Explanation:

World War II began with the Nazi invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Shortly before this, Germany and the Soviet Union had signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression agreement that ensured a silent Soviet compliance with Nazi military action. 

At this point, Soviet relations with capitalist countries such as the United States and Great Britain were strained. They were ideologically on opposite ends, and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact became another significant point of contention. The disagreement between the Allies and the Soviet Union grew more pronounced as the War spread to other battlegrounds and territories across Europe, while Stalin maintained silence on the matter. In some cases, in fact, the Soviet Union was an ally of Nazi Germany, provididng them either materials or the paths to access the materials the USSR could not provide. 

However, the tide turned rapidly when Germany launched a campaign to invade the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. In the face of this new development, Stalin joined the Allies – the US and Great Britain – to try to push back Hitler’s advance into his territory. The USSR contributed greatly in military terms, and after the fall of Germany became involved in fighting Japan as well.

The alliance with the Soviets was an uneasy one. While they shared a common enemy in Hitler, most of their other goals did not align. Thus, a split occurred soon after World War II drew to a close.

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