What program did Roosevelt establish to assist Britain in its fight against Germany?

The program that President Franklin D. Roosevelt established to assist Britain in its fight against Germany during World War II was called the Lend-Lease program. Officially known as the Lend-Lease Act, it was signed into law on March 11, 1941. The program allowed the United States to lend or lease military equipment and supplies to any country whose defense was considered vital to the security of the United States. Britain, being under significant threat from Nazi Germany at the time, was the primary recipient of aid through this program.

The Lend-Lease Act marked a significant shift away from the isolationist policies that the United States had maintained since World War I. Before the act was passed, the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s prohibited the United States from providing military aid to foreign nations at war. However, as World War II progressed and the threat from Axis powers grew, American policy shifted in favor of supporting the Allied nations.

Under the Lend-Lease program, the United States provided billions of dollars worth of military supplies to Allies, including the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, and other nations. The aid included everything from food and clothes to ships, planes, tanks, and other military equipment. The assistance greatly bolstered the military capabilities of the Allies and is considered to have been crucial in their eventual victory over the Axis powers.

Importantly, the Lend-Lease Act established the policy of supporting nations fighting against aggressors without directly involving the United States in the conflict, at least initially. This approach was a way for the U.S. to support the fight against fascism without entering the war until the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which led to the U.S. officially joining World War II.