Reverse Lend-Lease and the Program’s Impact on the US Military in World War II
Between 1941 and 1945, the U.S. spent $296 billion on expenditures related to World War II, which is approximately $5.2 trillion in 2024 money. [i] This represented 35.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), a dramatic increase from the 1.4 percent of the GDP spent on defense in 1940 or the 2.7 percent (projected) spent in 2024. [ii] But not all of this money was used by the 16,000,000 Americans who served in uniform; about $50 billion, or 17 percent, was sent to allies and partners through the lend-lease program. [iii] One of the major U.S. contributions to friendly countries in the Grand Alliance was America’s industrial base. Even before the U.S.’s entrance into the war, the Cash and Carry program, followed by the Lend-Lease program, allowed the U.S. to provide assistance. The Lend-Lease Act, passed on March 11, 1941, formalized the system for the U.S. government to lend or lease materiel and/or supplies to its allies. This included vehicles, equ