National Socialist Germany vs. the USSR in Paris in 1937

At the Parisian universal exposition of 1937, the imposing neoclassical towers constructed by National Socialist Germany and the Stalinist Soviet Union competed with each other in both stature and impact. This threatening tableau illustrated the competition between the two systems and the upcoming confrontation between the two great powers. Architects Albert Speer (1905–1981) and Boris Iofan (1891–1976) were both awarded a gold medal by the French organizers (caption by the editorial team).

Exposition Internationale, Paris 1937, Vue d'Ensemble Prise du Trocadero, black-and-white postcard, 13.8 x 9 cm, 1937, photographer unknown; image source: © Donald G. Larson Collection on International Expositions and Fairs, Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno, item number: EXP937e.21pc, https://calisphere.org/item/fabb386b68239daeb92535eda7a56e89/.