The allied strategy for victory was forged after much planning and debate. The early planners had to know the end state before they could devise the plan. Much of the allied concepts were influenced by classical theorists Clausewitz and Sun Tzu. The allied application of sea power followed the ideas of Julian Corbett and the airpower strategy would have been welcomed by Giulio Douhet. The Casablanca conference was the most important allied meeting because it formalized the plan to defeat Germany.
Admiral Stark and Major Wedemeyer framed the strategic problem by addressing what the end state would be. They both had very little guidance about what was to be achieved. Stark knew the United States and Britain’s fates were linked. In the “Plan
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The overall goal, or ends, of defeating Germany first, before defeating Japan, was agreed upon. The British argued for the earliest possible defeat of Germany over diverting forces to the Pacific. Eventually, allied leaders agreed that the way to defeat Germany first began with the strategy to fight in the Mediterranean theater. This included the invasion of Sicily and Italy before a cross-channel attack into Europe. The Combined Bomber Offensive and antisubmarine warfare were given priority as strategic concepts, or ways, to achieve allied objectives. The strategy agreed to at Casablanca had a number of advantages. It included providing bases for bombing German-controlled Europe, diverting German troops from the Eastern Front, and knocking Italy out of the war. The strategic concept of fighting Japan with available forces in the Southwest Pacific was agreed upon as long as it did not compromise the Germany first strategy. Additionally, the conference was the first time the allies would demand the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan. The Casablanca conference was a very philosophical and open debate on the allied war strategy. It was the most important conference because it formalized the strategy and concepts with which the allies would achieve