 France had previously provided tentative support to the Spanish Republicans, but was now forced to make deals with the soon to be victorious Nationalist government on the question of refugees from the Catalonia region.More than 400,000 refugees had flooded into south-eastern France since the beginning of 1939.The resulting treaty, the Bérard-Jordana Agreement, was signed on 25 February 1939 and signalled French recognition of the Francoist government in Spain.