Following the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt initially declared the United States to be neutral and called for an embargo on arms sales to countries at war². However, he also recognized the need to support Britain and France in their fight against Nazi Germany. In September 1939, Roosevelt called Congress into special session to revise the neutrality acts to permit belligerents—i.e., Britain and France—to buy American arms on a “cash-and-carry” basis².
In March 1941, Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act, which authorized the United States to provide military aid to foreign countries during World War II⁴. The act allowed the president to lend or lease military equipment and supplies to any country whose defense was deemed vital to the security of the United States. The Lend-Lease program was designed to aid allies warring against Germany and Japan⁴.
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