|
European Tensions |
War |
Mobilization | Poland -
France | Battle of
Britain | Dieppe |
North Atlantic |
Training the Empire |
The Pacific |
Quebec Conference |
Hong Kong |
Home Front |
Sicily |
Italy | Conscription
| Normandy |
France |
Netherlands |
Germany
By 1943 the strategic landscape was
beginning to change rapidly in favour of the allies. The
Germans had been thrown back and defeat in El Alamein
and Stalingrad, and the U.S. Navy and Marines were
starting to make progress in the Pacific. It was decided
that the 3 main allied leaders in the west would gather
to plot out the next steps of the war. Canada and
Britain had been fighting since 1939 and held out in the
dark days on June, 1941 - June 1942. The U.S. had
brought its huge production and military potential in
the conflict after Pearl Harbour, so the leaders met
from August 11 - 24, 1943 in Canada for the Quebec
Conference, codenamed QUADRANT.
Winston Churchill and
Franklin Roosevelt were met by their host
Mackenzie King on August 11th, 1943. The conference was
held at the Citadelle and the Chateau Frontenac where
discussed ranged from the invasion of France, code named
Overlord, in 1944, the Mediterranean strategy, including
the invasion of Sicily. which had just occurred on July
10th, codenamed Husky, and then Italy and the continuing
of the push in the Pacific. The operational issues
reviewed were the build-up of troops in England, the
bomber offensive in Europe, the support f the partisans
in the Balkans and the Battle of the North Atlantic. It
was also decided that another theatre of war would be
designed named South East Asia and it would be placed
under the command of Lord Louis Mountbatten.
The most important document signed by
Churchill and Roosevelt, at the conference was the
Quebec Agreement. This agreement outlined the terms of
the partnership between the U.S., Britain, and Canada in
the development of an atomic bomb and nuclear
technology. There were growing suspicions between
English and American officials and Churchill had flirted
with setting up a separate British program due to
American hesitancy to share all of its information.
Roosevelt quickly settled these issues and it was
determined that Canadian and British scientists would
join the Americans on the Manhattan Project. Secret
materials and documents were also exchanged between the
Americans and British.
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