Surprise Poem by Akhtar Jawad

Before War (With thanks to History.com)
On August 23,1939-shortly before World War II (1939-45)broke out in Europe-enemies Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union surprised the world by signing the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, in which the two countries agreed to take no military action against each other for the next 10 years.

Aftermath
The public part of the Moscow agreement was announced with great fanfare on August 25,1939, the day Hitler had planned to launch his "blitzkrieg" (quick, surprise attacks)strike east into Poland. Earlier this same day, however, Great Britain and France, knowing the Nazi-Soviet agreement was pending, reacted by formalizing their pledge to Poland in a treaty declaring each would fight in Poland's defense if it were attacked.