What were the Soviets thinking when they signed a pact with Yugoslavia in April 1941?

raharris1973

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the soviets signed a friendship treaty or pact with Yugoslavia shortly after the coup d'etat that was a reaction against joining the Axis pact. What were the Soviets thinking making deals with such a government when it had no land LOCs to it and Romania and Bulgaria were already well committed to the Axis. It seems sort of sillier than even the Britis guarantee of Poland.
 
Unlike the British with Poland, the "Treaty of Friendship and Non-aggression" between Royal Yugoslavia and the USSR didn't really involve any commitment, it was pretty much a platonic treaty. Probably the Soviets were just thinking "why not?".
IIRC the Soviets were also interested in getting Yugoslavia into a war to get Germany as bogged down in the Balkans as possible. Though I'm not sure whether the treaty was expected, or if it could have been expected, to really do anything in regards to that goal.
 
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