Great Britain had to courageously withstand Hitler's thrust intended to turn the Atlantic Ocean into a Nazi lake. Just like Israel standing alone in the real fighting against the Nazislamis now, England's steadfast endurance saved us from being overwhelmed.
Netanyahu is the Churchill of the Mideast.
I'm not denying the quality leadership of Churchill or the grit of the UK's military and people, but the first couple years of World War Two drained military material resources faster than the UK could build replacements, let alone build enough to increase it's military power.
Nor was FDR trying anything he could to stay out of the war, even though he campaigned on "promise not to get into the war".
FDR realized the USA was weak when it came to size and strength/power of our land army and air forces. Our Navy was also showing a great need for hundreds more vessels, combat to transport. "The Arsenal of Democracy" wasn't just a PR phrase, but a literal essential step of progress the USA needed to do and had the capacity for, before entering the war without taking unacceptable losses and setbacks.
BUT, it would take time to build those factories, produce the "planes, tanks, ships" needed to equip our military that needed to grow exponentially, as well as that of our Allies, as it turned out. FDR bought the USA the time needed (barely) by the Lend-Lease program whereby the USA provided food, weapons, resources, supplies, etc. to the UK and later other allies and the USSR as well.
No denying that UK and USSR provided huge amounts of manpower via their militarys, but it's hard to fight on an empty stomach, or with no ammo for your weapons, or without enough weapons as well.
In the case of the UK, much of what they need to survive, let alone fight a war, is imported, comes from over the ocean. As German U-boats(submarines) sank more cargo ships than UK could build replacements, and as even more were needed to haul everything required to stay in the fight. The USA was essential in filling that gap. FDR's 50 destroyers for Caribbean bases was an essential boast in providing escorts for the convoys of ships going into England, but that was just a temporary patch. More escort warships would be needed before the War's end.
Also more cargo ships to replace those sunk and the huge volume of sealift that would be needed to carry troops, weapons, and supplies around the world to fight a global spanning war. USA shipyards not only cranked out ever growing numbers of war ships; escorts, destroyers, aircraft carriers, etc.; but even more import was the Liberty ship. A modular constructed freighter that eventual could be built in days rather than months.
USA aircraft construction was also undergoing rapid expansion, with many of the first, earliest models of our warplanes going to the UK to help them fight off the German air force, Luftwaffe, as well as provide for maritime patrols to protect the convoys and find and sink German U-boats.
The evacuation of Britain's army from Dunkirk saved hundreds of thousands of troops, but all their equipment; tanks, trucks, artillery, etc.; was left behind on the beaches. The Army saved was one that lacked teeth and claws to fight with and UK was fortunate that Germany wasn't capable of crossing the Channel to invade. Still, there was much in need of replacing, and quickly, not just for the Home Front, but also for the UK military in other parts of the world.
Another important part of Lend-Lease from USA that helped win the war was motor transport ~ trucks, jeeps, halftracks, and railroad engines and stock, etc. A huge chunk went to the UK and later also to the Free French and other Allies. One major and under appreciated factor was the motor transport sent to the USSR. Nearly 90% of the motor transport used by Russia was Made in the USA.
Speaking of USSR/Russia, another essential and under appreciated item of Lend-Lease was FOOD. Russia's farmlands were battlefields for nearly four years and not enough food was grown and harvested there during the back-n-forth fighting of the armies across Ukraine/Russia. Millions of tons of USA grown food, from wheat to spam, kept Russia fed and able to fight and eventually defeat Germany.
I've barely skimmed the top of the material and production contributions of the USA that made Allied victory possible in World War Two. Not to mention how much continued to be needed after to repair and rebuild, both of our Allies as well as the defeated.
I'm not trying to over apply hubris here, but too many are too ignorant of history of World War Two to grasp, understand, and appreciate how much USA production, 'Arsenal of Democracy', was the key winning factor for the Allies in World War Two and the rebuild of the Post War years as well.
BTW, we called all that "Lend-Lease" but very little was returned (in good condition, or any condition), nor was very much of it ever paid for. But then ever since it seems all we hear is how greedy, imperialistic, belligerent, and un-neccessary the USA is/was. Something about biting the hand that feeds one comes to mind.
