The Blue Legion (Spanish: Legión Azul, German: Blaue Division, officially called the Legión Española de Voluntarios) was a volunteer legion created from 2,133 Falangist volunteers who remained behind at the Eastern Front after most of the Spanish Blue Division was repatriated in March 1944 because Francisco Franco had started negotiations with the western Allies. It officially consisted of two battalions. It was later estimated that the legion grew to over 3,000 Spaniards.