<P> It culminated in a period during 1937 when all the powers were prepared to give up on non-intervention . By the end of July, the Committee was in deadlock, and the aims of a successful outcome to the Spanish Civil War was looking unlikely . Unrestricted Italian submarine warfare began on 12 August . The British Admiralty believed that a significant control effort was the best solution to attacks on British shipping . It was decided by the Committee that naval patrols did not justify their expense and would be replaced with observers at ports . </P> <P> The Conference of Nyon was arranged for all parties with a Mediterranean coastline by the British, despite appeals by Italy and Germany that the Committee handle the piracy and other issues the conference was to discuss . It decided that French and British fleets patrol the areas of sea west of Malta, and attack any suspicious submarines . Warships that attacked neutral shipping would be attacked . Eden claimed that non-intervention had stopped European war . The League of Nations did report on the Spanish situation, noting the' failure of non-intervention' . On 6 November, the plan to recognise the Nationalists as belligerents once significant progress had been made was finally accepted . The Nationalists accepted on 20 November, the Republicans on 1 December . On 27 June, Maisky agreed to the sending of two commissions to Spain, to enumerate foreign volunteer forces, and to bring about their withdraw . The Nationalists wished to prevent the fall of the favourable Chamberlain government in the United Kingdom, and so were seen to accept the plan . </P> <P> The United Kingdom proclaimed itself neutral; however, the British establishment were strongly anti-communist and tended to prefer a Nationalist victory . The ambassador to Spain, Sir Henry Chilton, believed that a victory for Franco was in Britain's best interests and worked to support the Nationalists . British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden publicly maintained the official policy of non-intervention but privately expressed a preference for a Nationalist victory . Eden also testified that his government "preferred a Rebel victory to a Republican victory ." Admiral Lord Chatfield, British First Sea Lord at the time of the conflict, was an admirer of Franco and, with government support, the British Royal Navy favoured the Nationalists during the conflict . As well as permitting Franco to set up a signals base in Gibraltar, a British colony, the Germans were allowed to overfly Gibraltar during the airlift of the Army of Africa to Seville . The Royal Navy also provided information on Republican shipping to the Nationalists, and HMS Queen Elizabeth was used to prevent the Republican navy shelling the port of Algeciras . The German chargé d'affaires reported that the British were supplying ammunition to the Republicans . During the fighting for Bilbao, the Royal Navy supported the Nationalist line that the River Nervión was mined, telling British shipping to keep clear of the area--and were badly discredited when a British vessel ignored the advice and sailed into the city, finding the river unmined as the Republicans had claimed . Despite this, the British government discouraged activity by its ordinary citizens supporting either side . </P> <P> There was popular support in both countries for the plan, although whilst in the United Kingdom the Labour Party was strongly in favour, the political left in France wanted to directly aid the Republicans . The Labour Party would reject non-intervention in October 1937 . The British Trades Union Congress was split . Both the British and French governments were aware of the First World War . France was reliant on British support in general . Blum believed that support for the Republic would have led to a fascist takeover in France, and ultimately no change in Spain . In the United Kingdom, part of the reasoning was based on an exaggerated belief in Germany's and Italy's preparedness for war . </P>

Who did britain support in the spanish civil war
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