non intervention spanish civil war spanish civil war countries followed principle non intervention avoid potential possible expansion war nations result signing august setting met september primarily arranged french british governments important members committee included soviet_union nazi_germany ultimately committee support nations plan control materials coming country forward early effectively international isolation mocked german italian decisive immediate support rebel faction subject volunteers discussed little result agreements signed late war outside committee efforts stem flow war materials spain largely unsuccessful foreign involvement spanish civil war proving instrumental outcome nazi_germany italy soviet_union consistently broke agreement signed france occasionally britain remained largely faithful non intervention proposed joint diplomatic initiative governments france united_kingdom policy aimed preventing war italy nazi_germany supporting franco nationalist coalition right onset conflict soviet_union supporting republican faction months later escalating major pan european conflict august french ambassador italy presented french government non intervention plan promised study british accepted plan principle immediately following day foreign minister nazi_germany german position declaration needed discussions held preventing spread war rest europe long ussr present mentioned meeting french countries supplying parties war france republicans germany nationalists similar approach french soviet_union august confirmed italian support principle despite claim sent russian workers spain soviet government similarly agreed principle long portugal included long germany italy stopped aid immediately august france declared non intervention draft german italian governments declaration accepted united_kingdom belgium netherlands poland czechoslovakia soviet_union renounced traffic war material direct indirect portuguese foreign minister asked accept held hand ultimatum british halt french exports spain britain obliged act treaty germany invaded august exports duly suspended collections food clothing medical supplies spanish republicans continued august germans informed british war materials sent germany false blockade spanish republican navy german captured came republican territory explained merely transport aircraft release required germany signed portugal accepted pact august border threatened war popular support countries plan whilst united_kingdom socialist labour_party strongly favour political left france wanted directly aid republicans labour_party reject non intervention october split report called alleged spain drawn london sponsored headed respectable figures british french governments aware world war france reliant british support general french prime minister believed support republic led fascist takeover france ultimately change spain august united_states known follow policy non intervention announce officially spanish war later identified disastrous secretary state days later government allow sale bombers spanish republican air_force response negative confirmed attempts including mexico soon nation openly support republicans august united_kingdom banned exports war material spain agreed pact suggested volunteers eventually form included italy similarly agreed signing august determined diplomatic offensive britain france surprising reversal views growing belief countries agreement admiral urged german government nationalists completely bring europe brink war abandon 24th germany signed soviet_union keen left august agreed followed decree banning exports war material spain bringing ussr line soviet foreign policy considered collective security german priority agreed similar approach walked thin line pleasing france seen hinder world revolution communist ideals time significant trials russia soviet press opposition groups entirely non intervention soviet actions hardly goal spreading revolution point created uphold agreement double dealing ussr germany apparent removed need declaration neutrality granted nationalists republicans control areas controlled little legal standing britain reasoning based exaggerated belief germany italy war purpose prevent personnel reaching parties spanish civil war committee met london september attended representatives solely european countries include switzerland policy neutrality prohibited inter governmental action chaired meeting concerned procedure represented french italy soviets germany represented deputy left running found working difficult portugal presence soviet requirement represented little hope committee british french aware continued shipment arms nationalists italy germany britain protested twice italians response italian aircraft landing pre significant change mediterranean british prime minister attempted halt global exports spain believing europe best interests soviet aid republic threatened committee began clear preventing italian german aid nationalists second meeting took place september established attended representatives belgium britain czechoslovakia france germany italy soviet_union sweden deal day day running non intervention united_kingdom france germany italy dominated soviet non military aid revived military aid meeting began spanish problem review crisis weakened spoke favour worldwide peace convinced portugal join del spoke claiming rebel nationalists republican government official government republic right buy arms september portugal represented committee time earl plymouth replaced british representative conservative meetings benefit italians germans committee accused anti soviet bias geneva confirmed soviet support based suggestion avoid war soviet government remained hostile idea supported view non intervention illegal november significant changes place functioning committee ratification plans post observers spanish ports prevent agreement delayed italian german demands air transport included delaying tactic given effectively russian military aid transported spain unnoticed france britain split recognise franco forces british wanted fail french wanted november news italian german governments recognised nationalists true government spain british bill preventing exports arms spain british ships signed requested time republic appealed assistance approached ruled interference words expectation united_states send troops warships floods munitions money europe december france britain approached italy germany russia portugal request armistice called commission sent spain government featuring war established considerable number german soldiers spain clear italy germany opposed isolated discussion matter december republic case demanding league condemn italy germany decision recognise nationalists pointed risk spanish war spreading suggested ineffective charge denied lord british french representatives respectively appealed league endorse plan league condemned intervention urged council members support non intervention commended closed discussion spain leaving committee plan soon dropped britain france continued consider forward plans prevent foreign volunteers outside committee january opportunity winter break houses congress united_states passed resolution banning export arms spain opposition bill including american communists liberals suggested export arms germany italy halted neutrality act foreign intervention constituted state war spain continued doubt extent german italian operations despite evidence contrary soviets met request ban volunteers december portugal january germany italy january adolf_hitler authored german declaration january request crime britain france germany continued germany scale limitations outcomes intervention spain january italy volunteers italy agreed support limitations prevent volunteers believing supplies nationalists sufficient meeting germans italian spoke men spain genuine volunteers spanish civil war non intervention act signed law february irish provided penalties war material service military forces restricted travel spain soviet war aid continued reach spain mediterranean britain france germany italy russia continued believe european war best interests non intervention left sides possibility defeat germany italy russia particular keen avoid control plan observers posted spanish ports borders told agree plan significant shipments having taken place portugal accept observers agree personnel attached lisbon cost scheme britain france germany italy russia pay met countries zones patrol assigned nations set administer scheme setting scheme took april republicans like adding insult injury wholesale transfer arms nationalists countries supplying despite accusations italians spain announcement hoped italian volunteer leave war german delegation appears hoped control plan effective italian assurances italy break non intervention committee noted attacks patrol ships islands aircraft italian cruiser second german pocket battleship calls withdrawal volunteers spain condemned bombing open towns showed approval humanitarian work germany italy said withdrawn committee patrols guaranteed attacks early june saw return germany italy committee patrols italian operations spain dropped contrast continued crime germany mention german operations following attacks attributed republicans germany denied german cruiser leipzig june germany italy withdrew patrols committee prompted portuguese government remove british observers spain portugal border discussions patrols remained complicated britain france offered replace germany italy patrols sections powers believed patrols partial germany italy requested land controls kept rights given nationalists rights search republicans nationalists replace naval patrols french considered abandoning border controls leaving non intervention french reliant british wished continue patrols britain france continued labour non intervention whilst judged effective ships estimated escaped inspection april end july air route covered nationalists debt germany reached million july dutch ambassador suggested britain draft compromise lord plymouth called compromise plan control non intervention naval patrols replaced observers ports ships land control measures resumed rights granted substantial progress volunteer withdrawal french furious considering britain moving germany italy demanded discussion rights volunteer rights insisted volunteers discussed conference onwards culminated period powers prepared non intervention complained government italian forces italy ready soviet_union prepared discuss rights considering proposing roosevelt pope whilst simultaneously preparing french war plans britain new prime minister saw securing friendship italian priority wished franco win italian germany involvement scaled chamberlain considered spain troublesome forgotten end july committee aims successful outcome spanish civil war looking unlikely italian submarine warfare began august british admiralty believed significant control effort best solution forward response attacks british shipping august decided committee naval patrols justify expense replaced planned observers ports arranged september parties mediterranean coastline british despite appeals italy germany committee handle piracy issues conference discuss decided french british fleets patrol areas sea west malta attack suspicious submarines warships attacked neutral shipping attacked september requested examine spain demanded end non intervention claimed non intervention stopped european war league report spanish situation noting failure non intervention november committee met plan recognise nationalists significant progress finally accepted patience nationalists accepted november republicans december suggested reasonable number reality number sick unreliable wished withdraw countered british suggestions thousand talks anglo italian discussions trying protect non intervention anglo italian meetings end resigning post march france reopened border arms traffic weakened republic mid april mid june british seamen killed attacks british shipping spanish waters observers june agreed sending commissions spain foreign volunteer forces bring withdraw estimated cost borne member countries committee nationalists wished prevent fall favourable chamberlain government united_kingdom seen accept plan republicans accepted plan nationalists demanded rights amounted rejection plan following munich agreement judged chamberlain success britain host similar spain propose removal majority meeting showing contempt similarly italians leave spain anglo italian agreement committee britain france recognised nationalist government february criticised way agreed calling gross betrayal half years non intervention
Non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War