9 ▁for ▁ag gression ▁against ▁Finland . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁St alin ▁pushed ▁a ▁left ist ▁policy ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁belief ▁in ▁an ▁im min ent ▁great ▁crisis ▁for ▁capital ism . ▁Vari ous ▁European ▁commun ist ▁parties ▁were ▁ordered ▁not ▁to ▁form ▁coal itions ▁and ▁instead ▁to ▁den ounce ▁moder ate ▁social ists ▁as ▁fasc ists . ▁Activ ists ▁were ▁sent ▁into ▁labour ▁un ions ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁away ▁from ▁social ists – a ▁move ▁the ▁British ▁un ions ▁never ▁forg ave . ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁the ▁St alin ists ▁started ▁suggesting ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁al liance ▁with ▁other ▁parties , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁the ▁idea ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁Popular ▁Front ▁had ▁emer ged . ▁Com intern ▁agent ▁Will i ▁Mün zen berg ▁was ▁especially ▁effective ▁in ▁organ izing ▁intellect uals , ▁anti war ▁and ▁pac if ist ▁elements ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁anti - N azi ▁coal ition . ▁Commun ists ▁would ▁form ▁coal itions ▁with ▁any ▁party ▁to ▁fight ▁fasc ism . ▁For ▁St alin ists , ▁the ▁Popular ▁Front ▁was ▁simply ▁an ▁exped ient , ▁but ▁to ▁right ists , ▁it ▁represented ▁the ▁des irable ▁form ▁of ▁transition ▁to ▁social ism .. ▁▁ ▁Franco - S ov iet ▁relations ▁were ▁initially ▁host ile ▁because ▁the ▁USS R ▁officially ▁opposed ▁the ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁peace ▁settlement ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁that ▁France ▁em ph atically ▁champion ed . ▁While ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁conqu