France's communist party had strong influence domestically, and the decolonization of the French colonial empire provided Moscow with opportunities to support anti-colonial movements.

By 1924, Comintern efforts to overthrow capitalism in a world revolution had failed, and the New Economic Policy meant the Soviets were eager for international trade.

As a result, Édouard Herriot's government in Paris officially recognised the Soviet Union, leading to a rapid growth of commercial and cultural exchanges.

[4] The rapid growth of power in Nazi Germany encouraged both Paris and Moscow to form a military alliance, and a weak one was signed in May 1935.

A firm believer in collective security, Stalin's foreign minister Maxim Litvinov worked very hard to form a closer relationship with France and Britain.

[5] On the eve of World War II in 1939 French and British diplomats tried to form a military alliance with Moscow, but the Germans offered much better terms.

With Roosevelt replaced by Harry Truman, France increasingly turned to the American presence in Western Europe to maintain the balance of power.

However, Soviet strong-arm tactics in Eastern Europe, combined with strong opposition from key few French government officials, broke the power of the Party and sent it into a downward spiral.

[10] Decolonisation of the French colonial empire gave Moscow the opportunity to provide propaganda support for anti-colonial fighters, as well as weapons, especially in Algeria and Vietnam.

[16] Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev made a visit to France in October 1985 in order to fix the strains in the Franco-Soviet relations.