force a decision, and so long as her forces are fully engaged on the eastern front she may hesitate to extend her commitments by a move into Spain. 5. She must also appreciate that by a premature move into the Peninsula she might provoke a British or even an American operation against Spain and Portugal, North Africa or the Atlantic Islands with which her preoccupations in Russia would make it difficult to contend. 6. Although Franco himself may be still convinced that eventually the Germans will win the war, he is still anxious to keep Spain out of it.