The Importance of Non-Intervention Agreements in the Spanish Conflict

Most countries, including the European democracies, signed a non-intervention agreement where they would basically be neutral in the conflict. So you would expect then that the democratic countries would have backed the democratic republic and that the fascist countries would back the fascists. And while the latter is true, the former most definitely is not. The Soviet Union provided substantial military equipment, not so much as aid, but they sold them. Mexico provided money and some small arms and ammunition. Later, their support was really important because they provided diplomatic and refugee support for Spanish refugees.