Starting in April 1935, the situation in Spain became even more chaotic.
Why had it become even more chaotic? Because besides France, Russia had also joined in, beginning to support the Spanish Republic.
That raised the question: Why had Russia, which had kept a low profile ever since the end of the civil war, suddenly stepped forward to support the Spanish Republic?
This inevitably brought up the problems caused by Russia's distinctive ideology.
Throughout Europe, Russia had no allies at all. Apart from the Spanish Republican Government, which showed some inclination in that direction, every other country was either controlled by capital or a monarchy. Their political systems were worlds apart from Russia's.
Moreover, Russia had another consideration in supporting Spain: it wanted to restrict the speed of Germany and Italy's expansion.
After all, Russia was also Germany's neighbor. Germany's growing strength was hardly good news for Russia.
As shipments of weapons and equipment were transported from Russia to Spain, the Spanish Republican Army regained a measure of its combat strength and was thrown into battle against the German and Italian armies.
Compared with Germany and Italy, the Russian Government was not nearly as reckless. To avoid offending Britain and France and violating the non-expansion treaty it had previously agreed upon with them, Russia merely provided the Spanish Government with a shipment of weapons and equipment. It had no plans to send troops to help the Spanish Republic Government fight.
But it had to be admitted that the weapons and equipment Russia provided to the Spanish Government played a crucial role.
When the German and Italian armies had nearly captured Madrid, that shipment of weapons and equipment enabled the Spanish Republican Government to hold out for some time longer.
But precisely because of this, relations between Germany and Italy and