The first significant Allied relief effort for the Soviets was *Operation Torch*, the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. This operation drew more than 250,000 German and Italian troops away from the Eastern Front and forced the Germans to divert resources from their summer campaign in the south to defend North Africa.
Second Front in Europe
The Allies promised the Soviets that they would open a second front in Europe in 1944 to relieve pressure on the Soviet army. The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, fulfilled this promise and forced Germany to fight a two-front war. The Allies also conducted strategic bombing raids on Germany, which disrupted German transportation and industrial production.
Lend-Lease
The United States provided the Soviet Union with $11 billion worth of military equipment, food, and other supplies through the Lend-Lease Act. These supplies were essential to the Soviet war effort and helped the Soviet army to fight off the German invasion.