Why was the 1941 Lend- lease act a turning point in u.s foreign policy?

Answer 1

Prior to WWII, the U.S. government had a more favorable disposition towards Nazis compared to the Soviet Union. There were many influential Nazi sympathizers in the U.S., including Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh. The Lend-Lease Act (or, rather, its application by the Roosevelt administration) reversed this disposition...

Answer 2

1941 Lend Lease Act

Answer 3

This was a significant change in United States foreign policy. Dating backing to President George Washington's Farewell Address United States foreign policy avoided entangling alliances and tried to stay out of European affairs. This was later incorporated into the Monroe Doctrine. Even it declared that while Europe should stay out of our hemisphere, we would stay out of their's.

The Lend Lease Act changed that. America first gave munition, materials, and so forth to Great Britain to help them survive war against Nazi Germany. Although Hitler was obviously a dangerous tyrant, Germany and the United States were not in any direct conflict. President Franklin Roosevelt wisely recognized that if the Nazis gained control of Europe, it would threaten the United States. Therefore, we broke precedent in giving large aid to a country in Europe, faraway, where we did not have a direct conflict.

In World War I the conflict between Germany and the United States was more direct in that the former sank a lot of our ships with submarines. Also, before the United States went to war in 1917 the Germans had been exposed for "The Zimmerman Telegram," in which Mexico was promised territory if it warred against us. Before World War II American shipping aid to Great Britain, resulted in the Nazis sinking some of them. But since we were actively helping England the American public considered this, and a demand for war did not result. Somehow, although Hitler lacked restraint in most ways, he did not in the matter of our giving war assistance to Great Britain.

Later, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, the United States extended Lend Lease aid to the Soviets. Our fear was that the Nazis would conquer Europe, which would ultimately threaten us. Therefore, America broke precedent in giving large amounts of materials and aid to countries at war with a nation, Nazi Germany, that was not in direct conflict with us. This did set a precedent in which the United States began taking an active role in Europe. After World War II our country sent troops to Europe and were directly allied there. We formally established NATO, an alliance of the United States and mostly western Europe. One could say the principle for first getting so involved was set by Lend Lease aid program.

Answer 4

Essentially this was when the US began to get itself actively involved in WWII. Prior to that it had observed a policy of strict neutrality, though with lend lease it began to actively provide support for the Allies (though it wouldn't enter the war directly until Pearl Harbor.)

Answer 5

By participating in land lease the US was breaking it's isolationist policy, and actively supporting Britain in it's war against Germany.

Answer 6

As a footnote, it's been said that the U.S. at one point supplied Britain with 100% of its petroleum, 50% of its food. However much it was, our leaders were aware that if we didn't help defeat Hitler, his forces would have been at our shores sooner or later, and it was better to take the battle to him 'over there.'