(The Federalist) May 8, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the Allies’ triumph over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. Through Lend Lease and the destroyers-for-bases scheme, we had become involved in the European war much earlier than Hitler’s declaration of war on the United States on December 11, 1941.
American boots on the ground proved decisive in the Western Theater, from North Africa to Italy to Normandy to Germany itself. And American industry and money proved to be an overwhelming advantage, pumping out a nearly inexhaustible supply of matériel for the Allied cause.
Once the war ended, the U.S. decided to maintain a military presence on the Continent and extend its protective hegemony over Western Europe for two reasons. (Read More)
