ABSTRACT
In the spring of 1938 the French border with Spain was briefly opened and a limited amount of war materiel again reached the Republic, including 100 Soviet planes and roughly 200 artillery pieces. It hardly equalled Franco's resources, but it made a carefully chosen offensive possible. At the very least, such an offensive would prolong the war, leaving still more time for the Western powers to be pressured into reversing their policy, lifting the embargo, and allowing arms to flow to the Republic.
