Final answer:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt facilitated the passage of the Lend-Lease Act, granting the ability to provide military aid to Britain and later the Soviet Union, thus supporting allies against totalitarian forces while maintaining U.S. neutrality.
Step-by-step explanation:
During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took significant steps to aid nations fighting against totalitarian regimes while the United States maintained an official stance of neutrality. The Lend-Lease Act, passed by Congress in March 1941, was central to this effort.
The act permitted the U.S. to deliver war supplies to Britain and later expanded to include the Soviet Union after the Nazi invasion. This move was calculated to support nations considered vital to U.S. security during a time of increasing global conflict, without directly involving the U.S. in the war.
Roosevelt's strategy was to bolster the defense of the United States by supplying allies under threat, thereby keeping the fight against totalitarianism at a distance. The Lend-Lease program was initially devised as a means to aid Great Britain and subsequently extended to the Soviet Union, transforming the U.S. into the 'Arsenal of Democracy'. Despite the country's isolationist tendencies, and the opposition from groups like the America First Committee, Roosevelt navigated the political landscape to provide critical support to allies.
The undeclared naval war that developed between the U.S. and Germany as a result of increased Lend-Lease activities would also set the stage for further escalation, paving the way for full U.S. engagement in World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.