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and North Americans considered the Spanish Civil War an opportunity to destroy Fascism, the United States, Great Britain, and France remained neutral; only Russia supported the Loyalists. To the shock of those who admired Russia for its active opposition to Fascism, Stalin and Hitler signed a nonaggression pact in August 1939. The following month, Hitler seized Poland, and Russia took Finland and the Baltic States. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany, which formed the "Axis" with Japan and Italy--and World War II began. The United States, however, continued to adhere to the neutrality acts it had passed in the mid-1930s. As these events unfolded in Europe, the American Depression continued. The Depression provided es fertile an environment for radicalism in the United States as it did in Europe. European Fascists had their counterparts and suoporters in the United States in the German-American Bund, the Silver Shirts s t and similar groups. At the same time, labor unrest, racial disturbances, and sympathy for the Spanish royalists presented an unparalleled opportunity for the American Communist Party to gain adherents. The FEI was alert to these Fascist and Communist groups as. threats to American security. Authority to investiaate these orcanizations came in l with President Roosevelt's authorization through Secretary of St Cordell Hull. A 1939 Presidential Directive further strenathen the FBI’s authority to investigate subversives in the Uni States, and Congress reinforced it by passing the Smith Act 1940, outlawing advocacy of violent overthrow of the government ct {tM ww ome) M cr Ww 0, M oa ! m With the actual outbreak of war in 1936 responsibilities of the FBI escalated. Subversion, sabota ace , &€ espionage became major concerns. In addition to Agents tra ined general intelligence work, at least one Agent trained in defer plant protection was placed in each of the FBI's 42 field office The FBI also developed a network of informational sources, of using members of fraternal or veterans’ organizations. With le developed by these intelligence networks and throuch their ow work, Special Agents investigated potential threacs tc naricnsi security. ct 3 0 'n wh tS mM Jom jooct mM oh » Mw vw Great Eritain stood virtually alone acainst the Axis powers after France fell to the Germans in 1940. An Axi victory in Europe and Asia would threaten democracy in North America. cause of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the American Communist Party and its sympathizers posed a double- -edged threat to American interests. Under the direction of Russia, the American Communist Party vigorously advocated continued néutrality for the United States. n In 1940 and 1941, the United States moved further and further away from neutrality, actively aiding the Allies. In late 1940, Congress reestablished the draft. The FBI was responsible for locating draft evaders and deserters. 4