Weakened and politically still fragile, Spain remained officially neutral during World War II. However, to repay Hitler for his assistance in the Civil War, Franco raised a volunteer corps, the Blue Division (with an aerial counterpart, the Blue Squadron), to fight on the Eastern Front. In that way, by only fighting the Soviet Union, Franco could repay Hitler while staying at peace with the Western Allies. Nearly fifty thousand Spanish personnel served from June 1941 til October 1943, seeing fierce action in the Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Krasny Bor. After Franco was pressured by Allied leaders to withdraw the Division, a token force of volunteers remained as the Blue Legion. Fighting for the Allies, many exiled Spanish Republicans, called Spanish Maquis, joined the French Resistance. Thousands also served in the Free French Forces; particularly of note is the Ninth Armoured Company under General Leclerc's Second Division. The first Allied unit to enter Paris in 1944, it was almost entirely made up of Spanish exiles.