Assess the role of Lend-lease in securing Allied victory Essay

Assess the role of Lend-lease in securing Allied victory - Essay Example However, the trigger for the development of the Act was the position of Germany in Europe. Germany had conquered France and had thus completed the conquest of mainland Europe and had broken its peace agreement with Britain by attacking it. Although the Royal Air force had proved a key force in defending the country in the Battle of Britain, the war machinery of the country had weakened and it was struggling to hold its position. Germany was consolidating its position in Europe and was preparing to attack the Soviet Union. Background The allied powers of Britain and France remained passive in spite of the growth of the German war machinery. In fact, they remained quite even after Czechoslovakia was attacked and attempted to protect their immediate interests. Britain and France declared war on Germany when it attacked Poland however France fell into German hands soon after. America was able to maintain its non – involvement through its physical isolation. President Roosevelt tim e and again stressed that it was not their war and intended to stay away from it. Subsequently, when war reached the shores of the British mainland, the United States began to act and President Roosevelt called for a legislation to ‘Promote the Defense of the United States’. Although it took many months for the act to come into motion, the terms took shape much earlier. The Lend – Lease Act which provided supplies to the USSR was much more complicated and took more time. However, Britain had initiated help to the USSR much before the United States and supplied a small but significant number of tanks and aircrafts in 1941 – 42. Sensing that the German offensive had begun to weaken on the eastern front, the United States became more involved in its aid to the USSR. Hence, a significant amount of American aid to Russia followed only after the victories of the Red Army on the eastern front. Lend – Lease Act The Lend - Lease Act was approved by the US Co ngress on 11th March 1941. It was the arrangement through which all war supplies that included food, machinery and other services apart from weapons were transferred to nations whose security was considered important to the security of the US. The Lend – Lease Act also gave powers to the President of the United States to decide the terms of repayment and also decide on the time period up to which the recipient nations would receive aid, mentioned in the act as "The terms and conditions upon which any such foreign government receives any aid authorized under subsection (a) shall be those which the President deems satisfactory, and the benefit to the United States may be payment or repayment in kind or property, or any other direct or indirect benefit which the President deems satisfactory" (Lend - Lease Act, 1941). The Act contained only 11 sections but it would prove to have a wide ranging impact at the time and beyond since many of the clauses gave the President a great deal of power. Unspecified powers were given to the President in terms of support that could be extended through the act. Lend – Lease activities continued not only between the US and other allied nations but also between the allied nations themselves such as Britain and the USSR, etc. However, the United States was the main contributor to the other nations and by mid 1945, when it was