Lend-Lease: delivery of medical products from the United States of America to the USSR during the Great Patriotic War

This article discusses the emergence of the idea of ​​Lend-Lease, as a method with the implementation of which, in conditions of force majeure, there was an opportunity to optimally solve important pressing problems. A fragment is given — the quintessence of the correspondence of the British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, calling on the President of the United States of America Franklin Roosevelt and insisting on the need to introduce Lend-Lease. On the basis of archival documents and sources of literature, the role and share of medical products received during the Great Patriotic War in the USSR under Lend-Lease was established. The great importance of lend-lease is confirmed by a letter from F. Roosevelt dated November 4, 1941, addressed to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The author discloses not the decisive, but significant, assistance provided in the provision of medicines, medical and sanitary products to the Soviet Union, especially over the first period of the war in 1941–1942, when some of the medical enterprises remained in the territories occupied by the Nazis. The largest number of deliveries was shown to be made by the United States of America, in comparison with the UK and Canada. The ways and logistics of incoming supplies are investigated. Products were proven to be received not free of charge, but under certain conditions. The USSR had to pay for the goods received until 2030. The Russian Federation, the legal successor of the USSR, managed to repay the debt in 2006. The role of public organizations that came to the aid of the Soviet people earlier than the governments of Western countries fighting Germany was emphasized. Behind the decisions taken on this issue, the policy of the Anglo-American allies in relation to the USSR, to the state, which must be helped in the fight against the common enemy, but in moderation, without strengthening its potential, is seen.

Contribution of the authors:
Serebryany R.S. — research concept and design, editing, approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.
Kamelskikh D.V. — idea of research, collection and processing of material, writing the text, compilation of the list of literature.
All co-authors approved the final version of the article and take responsibility for the integrity of all its parts. 

Acknowledgment. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: July 17, 2021
Accepted: August 29, 2021
Published: August 30, 2022