43-1-14 Casablanca Conference

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1943-1-14: Roosevelt, Churchill - Casablanca Conference in Morocco - HiPo > .

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On 14 January 1943 the Casablanca Conference began in Morocco.

The conference saw the Combined Chiefs of Staff join American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss the future strategy for fighting the Second World War. Representing the Free French forces, Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud were also in attendance although they took a minor role in the discussions.

Roosevelt’s attendance at the conference marked the first time a President had left American soil during wartime. Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin did not attend as he felt his presence was needed at home during the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad.

The Casablanca Conference saw the national leaders agree to invade Sicily after the completion of the North African Campaign. This was intended to divert Axis forces away from mainland Europe and weaken the German defence ahead of a later Allied invasion of France. In return, Churchill agreed to send more troops to the Pacific to help in the fight against the Japanese. The leaders also agreed to launch combined bombing missions against Germany and to destroy German U-boats in the Atlantic.

Details of the conference were kept from the public until the participants left Casablanca, although a number of journalists had been invited to a press conference on 24 January where vague details of the discussions were announced by Roosevelt.

Coming as a surprise to Churchill, Roosevelt announced his demand for the ‘unconditional surrender’ of the Axis powers. This had been discussed at the conference, but had not been fully embraced by the British Prime Minister.

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The Casablanca Conference (codenamed SYMBOL) or Anfa Conference was held at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, French Morocco, from January 14 to 24, 1943, to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of World War 2. In attendance were United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill. Also attending were the sovereign of Morocco, Sultan Muhammad V, and representing the Free French forces, Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, but they played minor roles and were not part of the military planning. USSR general secretary Joseph Stalin declined to attend, citing the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad as requiring his presence in the Soviet Union.

The conference's agenda addressed the specifics of tactical procedure, allocation of resources, and the broader issues of diplomatic policy. The debate and negotiations produced what was known as the Casablanca Declaration, and perhaps its most historically provocative statement of purpose, "unconditional surrender". That doctrine came to represent the unified voice of implacable Allied will and the determination that the Axis powers would be fought to their ultimate defeat.