When World War I came to a close and the Versailles Peace Treaty was signed, a spirit of hope and opportunity settled over the European continent. Peace was at hand and the nations of Europe could turn to the tasks of economic and political recovery. Germany elected a liberal democracy a whole slew of democracies developed in Eastern Europe. Liberalism seemed to be the order of the day. However, economic instability in the United States …showed first 75 words of 432 total…

…showed last 75 words of 432 total…Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, bringing the United States into the war. The United States, using an "island hopping" strategy, slowly ate away at the Japanese Empire, moving ever closer to Japan itself. In Europe, June 6, 1944 witnessed the largest amphibious assault in history on Hitler's Fortress Europe in France. By May 1945, the Allies had destroyed Germany. In August 1945, after suffering the devasting blow of two American atomic bombs, Japan admitted defeat. World War II was over.