Spanish Civil War Ends

The international response to the Spanish Civil War included many non-Spaniards participating in combat and advisory positions.^¹ The governments of Italy, Germany and, to a lesser extent, Portugal contributed money, munitions, manpower and support to the Nationalist forces, led by Francisco Franco.^¹ Some nations that declared neutrality favored the nationalists indirectly.^¹ The governments of the Soviet Union and, to a lesser extent, Mexico, aided the Republicans, also called Loyalists, of the Second Spanish Republic.^¹ The aid came even after all the European powers had signed a Non-Intervention Agreement in 1936.^¹ Although individual sympathy for the plight of the Spanish Republic was widespread in the liberal democracies, pacifism and the fear of a second world war prevented them from selling or giving arms.^¹ However, Nationalist pleas were answered within days by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.^¹ Tens of thousands of individual foreign volunteers travelled to Spain to fight, the majority for the Republican side.^¹