How accurate is it to say that the lend-lease programme was the most important reason for the USSR’s victory in WW2?

This question is not just about the lend-lease programme but rather about the reasons why the USSR were victorious in World War Two. In approaching this question, the advantages and disadvantages of the lend-lease programme should be discussed first as it is the reason referred to in the question. An example of the advantages of the lend-lease programme include that the programme ensured that soldiers of the Red Army were fed. This argument should be backed up with evidence e.g. by 1943, 17% of the calorie intake of the Red Army was provided by American supplies and two years later, the twelve million members of the Red Army were receiving 200 grams of food every day because of the lend-lease programme. The disadvantages of the lend-lease programme included the limited number of weapons the programme provided and Stalin's suspicions towards the programme which hampered its effectiveness.
Other reasons which contributed to the USSR's success included military factors e.g. German tactical errors such as opposition to mass production of aircrafts and the timing of invasions which forced troops to face severe weather conditions. Economic factors also played a role as the first two Five-Year Plans prepared the USSR's economy for war. Again, this should be backed up with evidence such as how 56% of the USSR's national income in 1942 was dedicated to the war. Social factors also contributed to the USSR's success as morale was important in keeping people focused on the war. The re-introduction of the Russian Orthodox Church helped to increase patriotism and national feeling, decreasing resistance towards the war. All of these factors contributed to the USSR's success and it depends on the student's opinion as to which factor was the most important. Other questions that include the phrase 'most important reason' can be answered in a similar way: by dividing the factors into general themes such as military, economic and social, focusing on the reason referred to in the question and then ordering them based on which the student believes to be the most important.

Answered by Louise C. History tutor

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