A wartime cartoon in The New Yorker shows the docks of Murmansk covered with off-loaded containers and a Soviet official having trouble finding the word "spam" in the dictionary. Spam was one of the many food items sent to the former Soviet Union by the United States under the Lend-Lease Program first suggested by Winston Churchill, to which the United States contributed the major portion. The subject has been previously covered by such books as Hubert van Tuyll's Feeding the Bear (1989), but the present well-written text has the advantage of access to Russian sources, which were put to good use by Albert Weeks. The author makes a clear case that the program was a major factor in the survival of the Soviet Union and the victory over Nazism.
In two particular areas the help was indispensable. With major agricultural regions of the Soviet Union under enemy occupation, and the unsatisfactory system of distribution and transportation, to say nothing of mismanagement, the Soviet state had more than a nodding acquaintance with famine. Without Western aid, during the war the Soviet population would have been in danger of sharing the fate of those trapped in Leningrad and the earlier victims of collectivization. Even with the American aid, many Russians died from lack of food. Equally important was Lend-Lease's contribution to transportation. It would have been impossible for the Red Army to move the masses of troops and supplies on the primitive roads to the front lines without American Studebaker trucks, which also served as the launching pads for the dreaded Soviet rocket artillery. The trucks were also used for more sinister activities, including the deportation of the North Caucasus Muslims. Less satisfactory for combat were the Western tanks, inferior to the German machines and particularly disadvantaged in the open terrain of the Eastern Front. The memoirs of General Dmitri Loza, published in English in 1996, give us a vivid picture of how these tanks were employed by the Russians. American aircraft, flown by Russian ferry pilots across the vast expanse of Siberia, were put to good use by the Soviet air forces even with planes that were less than popular with Western pilots. A case in point was the Bell P-39 Airacobra, used both as a low-altitude fighter and as ground support. Its odd shape gave Soviet censors fits because it was difficult to conceal that it was the favorite mount of their second-highest-ranking ace, the future marshal of aviation, Aleksandar I. Pokryshkin.
Besides weaponry and food, Lend-Lease provided the Soviet Union with other resources, ranging from clothing to metals. With the start of the Cold War, Lend-Lease became a forgotten chapter in Soviet history and was only revived after glasnost. Now, thanks to Russian researchers and this excellent study, the West will have access to the real story. Lend-Lease provided vital help for the Soviet Union when the country was in desperate straits and made a significant contribution to the final victory. It also strengthened Josef Stalin, a fact that did not bother its chief architect, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who saw beyond the Allied victory and looked at Stalin as a counterbalance to the European colonial powers.
The victory over Nazi Germany was achieved through the economic power of the United States and the lives of millions of Soviets, who for reasons that defy logic made the ultimate sacrifice to keep in power a regime as brutal as their Nazi enemy. What the Soviet Union needed after the war was a peacetime version of Lend-Lease, in this case the Marshall Plan, which Stalin rejected. Misled by the victory, the Soviet Union under Stalin and his successors embarked on an imperial policy that would have put the tsars to shame, and one the USSR could hardly afford. Resources were deployed on military and space programs and every Third World thug, including those who had jailed the local Communists or became Soviet clients. To the USSR's eternal shame, anti-Semitism became national policy.
The "Empire of Evil" indeed had feet of clay, and its demise, unpredicted by all savants, was inevitable. The United States, on the other hand, hardly damaged by the war, managed to supplant the exhausted British, French and Dutch colonials and kept its rendezvous with destiny. The roots of the Soviet collapse, and the United States' recent attempts to make Iraq the next Switzerland, lie in the events of 1945.
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FDR
are you kidding? we helped spread communisism with our stupidity. Read The Naked Communist by W. Cleon Skousen
As if USSR would not hold out without that help.
Seems like Allies have a complex on that issue. They don't like that they played a marginal role in defeat of Germany? Too bad. It was a war of Titans, and there were only two – Red Army and Wermacht.
As for lend-lease, for example in terms of tanks, it accounted for 5% of soviet production.
Something tells me that the author avoids showing the full picture and shows only the numbers that suit his case.
You truly see the marginality of this help when you take both soviet pre-WW2 numbers and add soviet production numbers.
Lend-lease helped save lives, no question about it, but it was in no way critical.
Zoop, it's called history, not fantasy. I am sorry your grandfather told you otherwise, but the United States contributions were important. No one is trying to have a complex, it's simply about creating a complete picture. I'm sorry that it took your nation 20 million people to win, and their efforts will forever be remembered.
Without American aid the Russian tanks would be useless.
American aid at the cost of American lives.
I thank all those who gave their lives to ensure freedom.
Thank you Mr.Weeks for your important book
Soviet Union would survive without the lend-lease. It would be harder, but not impossible. And for the Shermans…. We know their unfortunate fate when fighting with german tanks.
Anyway – russians should remember the help.
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I find the comment "the allies had a marginal role in the defeat of Nazi Germany." Wars are not only fought with arms and men. When we were kissing Russian ass during the first stages of Glastnoz, retired Russian diplomats, politicians, and propagandists, they were arrogantly stating, they would have eventually defeated the Germans without Allied help.
Stalin couldn't even feed his people. Human wave charges are worthless against an adversary with no compunction about mass slaughter. Mismanaged Russian heavy industry made good armaments, but once they broke down, they were worthless. Spare parts didn't fit. Part of Lendlease were quality control engineers that trained Russian workers. Efficiency experts as they were referred to, at the time. As far as the fabled "Russian Winter," Hitler fielded his troops without winterizing his army, which would have been easily remedied
were it not for The Fuhrers bungling priorities.
To say that Russians won the war because of the winter – very naive.
I even do not want to spend time talking about it…
Lendlease helped, people, especially soldiers had some food. American Planes – they used them only in Siberia, training the new pilots,
There were no American instructors, may be a few (not much difference for a huge country), tanks – even Germans accepted their best quality. And it was a top secret production in Ural factories where no foreigner would be aloud…
It is time to be honest. Soviets won, the rest were only touching the victory.
As the book points out. All of Russians first-class aviation gasoline was supplied by the USA. A great deal of food was american. Their boots, most of the uniform material was as well. Plus rubber for the their tires, all their aluminum, fully 1/3 of their munitions, over 500,000 trucks which were all far better than any Russian produced during the war (about 200,000). The 9000 or so tanks supplied by the allies were a small amount but helped. Upgunned (76mm) Shermans were a big part of the Russian drive through the Balkans, where hundreds of them participatedm and had a measure of success. Aerocobras, P40s, C-47 and A-20's (18000+) all considerably assisted the Russian war effort. Almost all telephone communication was over american phones late in the war. The Russians produced 92 locomotives during the war. They got 2000 through lend-lease. The numbers go on and on, but a picture of the value of lend-lease should start making itself clear.
The western allies had far more than a marginal role in defeating the Germans. This role was to tie down the majority of manufactured items being in the west and not in the east.
Well over half the luftwaffe was engaged in the west from 1942-45, and 75% of german aircraft casualties were against the Western Allies. each U-boat cost 5 million marks to build. The Germans built over 1000. A panther tank cost 117 thousand marks. That means about 40,000 german tanks were not built so that the Germans could wage the war of the atlantic. Think 40,000 panthers might have made a difference on the eastern front? Each V2 rocket cost in labor and material, the same as 3.5 fighter planes. The germans launched over 3000 V2's. Do the math on that.
The British and Americans deployed over 20,000 heavy bombers against the Germans, suffering horrendous casaulites, and also doling out great destruction. The Russians never developed one.
There were also 10000 heavy caliber anti-aircraft guns defending the reich. Do you think those would have shored up German defenses in the east?
What would have happend if Rommel's Africa corps and the 30+ german divisions in France would have been in the don bend in the fall of 1942 protecting Stalingrad, instead of waiting for the British and Americans to land? What would have happed if the 400,000 good troops station in Norway could have helped Army Group North capture Leningrad? What would have happened if the 30+ divisions fighting in Italy and the Balkans for the Germans could have been freed to fight against the Russians in the south? What would have happed if in 1944, the german armies trying to hold the Allies out of France would have been sent to BelaRussia in prior to Bagraton?
The Germans were never really able to muster much more than half their real strength against the Ruissias. They were fighting a technological war against the brits and americans that required a huge effort from a manufacturing standpoint to counter. Russians give the allies no credit for tying down so many German resources and destroying so many others (30% of total production in 1944) with their strategic bombing campaign.
I suppose if I lost 25 million peple in the war, I might feel the same way. But that would be ignoring the real facts regarding the relative contribution of the Western Allies in the defeat of the German nation.
Your absolutely right and even tho the Russians tried to take the credit for defeat of Germany the truth is out, they are the main reason World War II
started with their hidden plans to attack Germany and take control of
Euorpe after Germany did all the work and wore down allies. It is sad that
millions of normal Russian civilians had to die. But in the end Stalin got what he deserved. I fail to see how millions of people to this day can allow
any dictator to make them slaves to his desires. Any country that fails to
stand up for their own freedom and dignity deserves what happens to them
the United States has helped and saved so many countries over the decades only to now be inbebted to them or be mocked by them.
tanks a lot ¨albert¨.i wait for that moment.i fight against everyone for 50 years.i write zillion of letters.the soviet union never put their flag in the top of the reichtag without the lendlease act.sorry for my bad english.now i make a trip to berlin with my studebaker. jorge
I think the Russians have always been given too much credit for the German defeat. So many academics are pro Soviet, it is like a propaganda machine. The Trucks and Locomotives we sent to the USSR were of tremendous importance, especially when compared to the small numbers of these items they made themselves. Trucks and Trains move troops.
The Luftwaffe was unable to properly support the German troops in Russia because they had to defend the skies over their own country, because of the Western Allies.
Stalin himself admitted that the communications and equipment from england and the usa , was the deciding factor in the reverses of the stalingrad era. before the commo equipment came for the t- 34s and the infantry, where they could effeciently operate and coordinate.they the russian army was running around like chickens with there heads cut off. the werhmact just outguned and out manuvered aroung and through them. and took thousands and thousands of prisoners.. the German generals said themseves that the russians sure learned the art of war fast!!! I wonder why and by whom.wenst came the help. probably the stingers!!! Remember Afgan!!! one teck would destroy a whole army!!!
Lend Lease didn't save the USSR from defeat – the Soviets would have won the key battles of Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad without it.
Lend Lease made the gigantic Red Army more efficient by improving its logistics and communications. A more efficient army can build up supplies and troops for an offensive more quickly than an inefficient one. Lend Lease made the 'Russian steamroller' roll faster by reducing the time needed to build up stockpiles of food, fuel and ammunition near the launching point of the next offensive.
So without Lend Lease, the Soviet timetable would have suffered delays, meaning the Red Army would take longer to reach Berlin. Impossible to say exactly how much longer, but I think the delay would be measured in months rather than weeks, although not in years.
Imagine the Red Army reaching Berlin 6 months later. Imagine the defeat of Germany delayed by only 6 months – that means the first atomic bomb would have been used on Germany instead of Japan.
Yes, because we should have just let the Nazi's run wild. That is a great idea. We helped start the Cold War by being buddies with the Germans about 10 minutes after the war ended. Do any of you really know anything about WW2?
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[...] of Democrats (and some Republicans) before him who gave U.S. aid and military technology to the Soviet Union, Red China, and other nations in the Communist bloc during the Cold [...]
[...] of Democrats (and some Republicans) before him who gave U.S. aid and military technology to the Soviet Union, Red China, and other nations in the Communist bloc during the Cold [...]
without commie loving FDR
russia and china never would have been a threat to anybody
therefore, stalin and mao slaughtered millions of their own people
and top the list of mass murderers
FDR must be so proud to have enabled them
Germany was defeated by the combined efforts of the allies. Although the Russians gave the lion's share of blood, without the various contributions of lend-lease, air assault on Germany, and stretching the Germans to the breaking point their effort would have been in-vain. Consider what was given the Russians, what Germany had to devote the Atlantic campaign, the air campaign (Luftwaffe aircraft and AA 88s), not to mention Germans and other axis guarding against second front, and the fact that once the second front materialized, the Germans countered with the bulk of the motorized resources and the allied contribution should be self-evident.