President Roosevelt's Lend-Lease Policy During World War II

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On December 7, 1941, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor marked the beginning of the United State’s formal engagement in WWII. At the turn of 1942, the U.S. began military deployment to the western shoreline of Europe. These watershed dates stand out as symbols of the U.S. military commitment in Europe. However, the United State’s engagement in Europe began far before Japan’s attack on U.S. soil. The lend and lease program signed into law by President Roosevelt was essential for an Ally victory in World War II in Europe. Although the passage of the Lend Lease Act came with stiff opposition in the U.S. Senate and House, its implementation became necessary for the Allies to win Europe. By sending arms to Britain and Free France, Roosevelt was able to equip Churchill with the necessary military might to defeat the axis powers. This injection of U.S. military assistance to Europe is ultimately the reason why the Allies were able to defeat the Axis …show more content…
Provisions of the Lend-Lease Policy To get the Lend-Lease Policy passed, Roosevelt was forced to appease Congressional isolationists hell-bent on maintaining the goals of the Neutrality Acts of the early 1930s.
A. Base leases In exchange for weaponry from the United States, European countries would give the U.S. leases on army and naval bases in Allied territory during the war. The first official exchange came in October 1941. Roosevelt approved $1 billion in aid to Britain. In exchange, Britain and the United States passed the 1940 Destroyers of Bases Agreement. 50 US Navy destroyers were transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Navy. Churchill also gave Roosevelt base rights in Bermuda and Newfoundland. This allowed British military assets to be redeployed in the region alongside US destroyers.
B. Scale The wide range of countries that received aid from the United States through lend-lease is tremendous. The following table from Wolfgang Schumann in Berlin illustrate the large scale of the

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