France–Soviet Union relations
bilateral relations
Foreign relations between France and the Soviet Union officially began on 28 October 1924 until its collapse on 25 December 1991.
Initially, France opposed the Bolsheviks and supported anti-communist forces in Russia. However, by 1924, both countries sought international trade, leading to increased commercial and cultural exchanges. Throughout the 20th century, the relationship between France and the Soviet Union experienced periods of alliance and discord. The two nations signed a treaty of alliance and mutual assistance during World War II, but tensions rose during the Cold War. 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. In the 1960s and 1970s, France tried to act as a broker between Moscow and Washington, but relations were strained by events such as the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
History
1917–1941
The Bolsheviks opted for peace with Germany in 1917 and refused to honour Russia's existing loans. In December 1917 France broke relations and supported the anti-Bolshevik cause. It supported the White Guard in the Russian Civil War and Poland during the Polish–Soviet War.
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