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Founder Lenin held that the Communist state would have to exist for many years beside the capitalist states, and therefore that the U. S. S. R. should aim at peaceful co-existence as long as the capitalist countries did not impede or attack her. From the Communist point of view seek peaceful coexistence as a foreign policy while as a political policy the Communist International tried to under mine capitalist governments. That made the capitalist world mistrust everything Russian.
With good reason to mistrust the U. S. S. R.'s revolutionary political policy, the capitalist countries went on to mistrust her nonaggressive foreign policy. Two dates in recent history seem to mark abrupt changes in that policy: 1934, when Russia joined the League of Nations, and 1939, when she signed her Non-Aggression Treaty with Germany. Neither act was a change of objective, but merely a change of method.
From the Revolution in 1917 until she joined the League in 1934, Russia's relations with Germany were far better than with Great Britain and France. First the Allies tried intervention to overthrow the Bolshevik regime. At the Genoa Conference of 1922 Russia was offered money and aid only if capitalism were restored. Russia was excluded from Locarno in 1925. Things got so bad by 1927 that London police raided the offices of Arco Ltd., the Soviet Trading Company, finding nothing, and Russia and Great Britain finally broke off all diplomatic relations.
Meanwhile Russia and Germany got along. Between 1921 and 1929 eight major treaties were signed between Russia and Germany. Even during the first year of Hitler's power, relations continued to be agreeable. Said Hitler to the Reichstag early in 1934: "Despite the great difference between the two outlooks on life, the German Reich has endeavored to look after its friendly relations with Russia."
But before 1934 was over Hitler had refused to sign a non-aggression pact with Russia and was talking tough. France, alarmed by Germany's growing power, proposed a treaty of mutual assistance to Russia and Russian entry into the League. Caught between two rambunctious neighbors, Russia was glad to sign.
Litvinoff Era. Having embarked upon the collective security method of pursuing her objective of peace, Russia gave it all she had. Commissar for Foreign Affairs Maxim Maximovich Litvinoff became one of the most active, consistent delegates to the League, repeatedly astounded his colleagues with the proposal that everybody disarm. But almost from the moment that she entered the League, Russia saw the principle of collective security sold out time after time.