U. S SERIAL ABC-4/CS'I BRITISH SERIAL W W.-1 ('FINAL) hTO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document. WASHINGTON WAR CONFERENCE AMERICAN-BRITISH STRATEGY MEMORANDUM BY THE UNITED STATES AND BRITISH CHIEFS OF 'STAFF NOTE' The circulation of this paper should be restricted to the United States and British Chiefs of Staff and their .immediate subordinates I. GRAND STRATEGY 1. At thp. A-B* Staff conversations in.February~ 1941~ i-t 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 of Japan 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 sa.fe- guarding of'v. ital interests in other theatres should be diverted from operations against, Germany. II. ESSENTIAL .FEATURES OF OURSTRATEGY 4. The essential features of the above grand strategy are as follows. Each will be examined .in greater detail later 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 br~vity the abbreviated A-B is used to denote American'British -- I -- |