Why did President Franklin D. Roosevelt give Britain 50 battleships?
1 Answer
Roosevelt was convinced by Churchill that there was a strong possibility that Germany in partnership with Italy could gain control of the Atlantic threatening the United States.
Explanation:
Churchill sent multiple messages to Roosevelt requesting naval support. British destruction of the French fleet helped persuade Roosevelt that the British with help might prevent the German fleet from winning the battle for control of the Atlantic.
Roosevelt did not want to become part of World War II. Neither did Roosevelt want to contend with a Nazi Germany that controlled the Atlantic Ocean. Roosevelt found a way to trade 50 US destroyers for access to British naval bases. The destroyers were declared to be unnecessary for the defense of the United States this made it legal for Roosevelt to trade them to the United Kingdom.
By trading 50 US destroyers to the UK Roosevelt was able to stave off a British defeat in the Atlantic without becoming engaged in the war or causing Germany to declare on the US.
