![]() ![]() Lend-Lease, as Roosevelt’s plan became known, ran into strong opposition among isolationist members of Congress, as well as those who believed the policy gave the president himself too much power. We must apply ourselves to our task with the same resolution, the same sense of urgency, the same spirit of patriotism and sacrifice as we would show were we at war.” Lend-Lease Policy ![]() “For us, this is an emergency as serious as war itself. “We must be the great arsenal of democracy,” Roosevelt declared in one of his signature “ fireside chats” on December 29, 1940. Payment for the supplies would be deferred, and could come in any form Roosevelt deemed satisfactory. In December 1940, Roosevelt introduced a new policy initiative whereby the United States would lend, rather than sell, military supplies to Great Britain for use in the fight against Germany. Though he had recently been re-elected on a platform promising to keep America out of World War II, Roosevelt wanted to support Great Britain against Germany.Īfter hearing Churchill’s appeal, he began working to convince Congress (and the American public) that providing more direct aid to Britain was in the nation’s own interest. ![]() That December, with Britain’s currency and gold reserves dwindling, Churchill warned Roosevelt that his country would not be able to pay cash for military supplies or shipping much longer. ![]() president agreed to exchange more than 50 outdated American destroyers for 99-year leases on British bases in the Caribbean and Newfoundland, which would be used as U.S. The London Blitz and other German offenses had taken a serious toll on British morale and military strength.Īfter the new British prime minister, Winston Churchill, appealed personally to Roosevelt for help, the U.S. WATCH VIDEO: The Lend-Lease Act Great Britain Asks for Helpīut by the summer of 1940, France and much of northern Europe had fallen to the Nazis, and Britain was fighting virtually alone against Germany on land, at sea and in the air. ![]()
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