American aid drained British assets without requiring anti-British intent

Did American wartime policy deliberately cripple Britain financially and make continuation of the British Empire impossible?

The financial damage followed from states pursuing their interests rather than a deliberate American campaign to destroy Britain or its empire.

Britain had to spend reserves and sell overseas assets while buying American war supplies. Those policies had serious financial consequences, although national self-interest and profit explain them better than a deliberate campaign to cripple Britain. Organized British-American diplomatic ties also show that cooperation and rivalry could exist at the same time. Wartime finance, industrial purchasing, and the postwar balance of power shaped how long Britain could sustain fleets and overseas commitments.