 In 1938 and 1939, the USSR fought and defeated Japan in two separate border wars, at Lake Khasan and Khalkhin Gol.The Soviets suffered another political defeat when an ally, Czechoslovakia, was partitioned and partially annexed, by Germany, Hungary and Poland—with the agreement of Britain and France—in 1938–39.There were talks between Soviet Union and United Kingdom and France for an alliance against the growing power of Germany but these talks failed.