ering ▁territ ories ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe , ▁France ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁fled g ling ▁states ▁there . ▁However , ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ' s ▁foreign ▁policy ▁centered ▁on ▁a ▁massive ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁Central ▁European , ▁Eastern ▁European , ▁and ▁Russian ▁lands ▁for ▁Germany ' s ▁own ▁ends , ▁and ▁when ▁Hitler ▁pulled ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁Dis arm ament ▁Conference ▁in ▁Gene va ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁the ▁threat ▁hit ▁home . ▁Soviet ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁Maxim ▁Lit vin ov ▁revers ed ▁Soviet ▁policy ▁regarding ▁the ▁Paris ▁Peace ▁S ett lement , ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁Franco - S ov iet ▁rapp ro ch ement . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁the ▁USS R ▁concluded ▁p act s ▁of ▁mut ual ▁assistance ▁with ▁France ▁and ▁Czech oslov ak ia . ▁St alin - ordered ▁the ▁Com intern ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁popular ▁front ▁with ▁left ist ▁and ▁cent rist ▁parties ▁against ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁F asc ism . ▁The ▁p act ▁was ▁und erm ined , ▁however , ▁by ▁strong ▁ide ological ▁host ility ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁Com intern ' s ▁new ▁front ▁in ▁France , ▁Poland ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁permit ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ▁on ▁its ▁soil , ▁France ' s ▁def ensive ▁military ▁strategy , ▁and ▁a ▁continu ing ▁Soviet ▁interest ▁in ▁patch ing ▁up ▁relations ▁with ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁ ▁The ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁supplied ▁military ▁aid ▁to ▁the ▁Republican ▁fa ction ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁Spanish ▁Republic , ▁including