p Meanwhile, the fascist powers continued to render tremendous assistance to Franco. Having built up their forces, the invaders and the rebels launched an offensive early in 1938. On April 15, they succeeded in breaking through 120 to the Mediterranean, north of Valencia, cutting Spanish territory in two. That seriously complicated the situation of the Spanish Republic.

p The Republic was stabbed in the back by British Premier Neville Chamberlain. On a visit to Rome, he signed a treaty of friendship and co-operation wilh Mussolini on April 1(>, 1938. Under that treaty, the British government acknowledged Franco’s right of a belligerent part after some of the foreign combatants had been withdrawn from Spain. Al the same time, Britain recognised Italy’s annexation of Ethiopia.

p The policy of the French government differed but little from that of Britain. The government of Daladier which came into office in April 1938 turned right abruptly. The Soviet Ambassador in Paris, Surits, pointed out on June 20, 1038, that the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Georges Bonnet, "has taken a definite line towards strangling Barcelona and establishing ’normal’ relations with Franco”. "^^8^^

p The Spanish people, with support from the progressive forces of the whole world, continued their heroic resistance to the fascist invasion. However, the position of the Republic was getting increasingly critical because of the collusion of the reactionary governing quarters of Western powers with German and Italian fascists.

p On February 27, 1930, Britain and France recognised the government of Franco and broke off diplomatic relations with the Spanish Republic. Under those circumstances, the Soviet government found it impossible to continue to participate in the deliberations of the Non-intervention Committee. On March 1, 1939, it decided to recall its representative from the committee.

Shortly afterwards the fascist forces captured Madrid and established their domination of the whole country by the end of March. The victory of the Italian and German invaders and rebels over the Spanish Republic essentially altered the situation in Europe. The hopes of the British ruling circles that they could keep Spain under their control by economic means proved to be an illusion. On March 27, 1939, Franco joined the Anti-Comintern Pact. Having thus blown up France’s rear, Germany and Italy created favourable opportunities for stepping up their acts of aggression in Central and Eastern Europe.