The previous structure, in which landlords owned most of the land in Aragon, and Aragonese peasants essentially being serfs—with much dependence on the economic security of farming—was rapidly changed into communal ownership with many landlords emigrating to more stable regions or being forced off the land through peasant rebellion. The existence of these communes were met with much opposition, leading to blockades restricting access to required armaments and creating economic isolation (predominantly led by the United States and France), but also through the Nationalists who were heavily supported by Germany, Italy, and Portugal, precipitating their inability to withstand invasion by Nationalist militias.