Lend-Lease

Lend-Lease (sometimes called Lease-Lend) was a programme of financial and material aid given by the United States to its allies during the Second World War (1939-45). Food, weapons, ammunition, and agricultural equipment were amongst the goods which crossed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The value of Lend-Lease goods has been estimated at around $50 billion. Payment was expected from the recipient states, although there was flexibility on how much, in what form, and when this was to be given. Lend-Lease was a massive operation, which ensured the US minimised its own military casualties while still using its tremendous economic power to drive the Allied cause. The programme became one of the great logistical achievements of the war effort, immeasurably helping the Allies win WWII.