 Under the terms of the Pact , Hitler was , in effect , given authorisation to occupy two @-@ thirds of Western Poland , as well as Lithuania . Molotov was given a free hand in relation to Finland . In the Soviet @-@ Finnish War that ensued , a combination of fierce Finnish resistance and Soviet mismanagement resulted in Finland losing parts of its territory , but not its independence . The Pact was later amended to allocate Lithuania to the Soviet sphere in exchange for a more favourable border in Poland . These annexations led to horrific suffering and loss of life in the countries occupied and partitioned by the two dictatorships . 
