ANNEX 1
To
ABC-4
JCCSs-1
 
TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY
 
W.W.-1. (U.S. Revised)
 
    Itls requested that special care may be taken to ensure the
secrecy of this document.
 
WASHINGTON WAR CONFERENCE
 
AMERI CAN-BRITISH STRATEGY.
 
MEMORANDUM BY TKE BRITISH CHIEFS OF STAFF.
REVISED BY U S. CHIEFS OF STAFF.
 
I.      GRAND STRATEGY
 
         1    At the A-B* Staff conversations .in February, 1941, it was agreed that'Germany was the predominant member of the Axis Powers, and consequently the Atlantic and European area was considered to be the decisive theatre
 
        2.    Much 'has happened since February last, but notwithstanding the entry ofJapan .into the War, our 'view remains that Germany is still the prime enemy and 'her defeat is the key to 'victory~ Once Germany is defeated, the collapse of Italy and the defeat of Japan must follow.
 
         3. In our considered opinion, therefore, it should be a cardinal principle of A-B strategy that only the minimum of force necessary for the safeguarding of'vital interests in other theatres should be diverted from operations against Germany:
 
I I ~ ES SENT IAL .FEATURES OF. OUR STRATEGY
 
         4.    The essential features of the above grand strateg~~ are as follows' Each will be examined in greater detaillater in this paper.
 
            .a. 'The realization of the 'victory programme of armaments, which first and foremost requires the security of the main areas of war .industry,
'Note --
  ;* .For brevity the abbreviated A-*B is used to denote American-British