The Destroyers for Bases deal was a significant agreement made between the United States and the United Kingdom during World War II, specifically in September 1940. Faced with the threat of Nazi Germany, the UK was in urgent need of military resources, while the U.S. was still neutral and evaluating its role in the conflict.
Under the terms of the deal, the U.S. agreed to transfer 50 older destroyers from its naval fleet to the UK. In exchange, the British granted the U.S. the right to use and establish military bases on British territories in the Caribbean and Newfoundland. The agreement allowed the U.S. to enhance its military presence and security in the Western Hemisphere and provided the UK with much-needed naval support to protect its shipping routes from German U-boats.
This deal marked a turning point in U.S. foreign policy, moving away from isolationism and towards greater involvement in the European conflict, which would culminate in the U.S. entering World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The Destroyers for Bases agreement reflected the beginning of closer military cooperation between the U.S. and the UK during the war.