Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill begin the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war

The Casablanca Conference was a pivotal meeting between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. The conference took place from January 14 to 24, 1943, in Casablanca, Morocco. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since the United States entered the war in December 1941.

Strategy for the European Theater: The Allies, represented by Roosevelt and Churchill, affirmed their commitment to a policy of unconditional surrender by the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). They agreed that there would be no separate peace negotiations, and the Allies would fight until the Axis powers surrendered without any conditions.

Invasion of Sicily: Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, was planned and scheduled for the summer of 1943. This marked a significant step toward the liberation of Europe from Axis control.

Future Invasion of Italy: The leaders discussed the possibility of an invasion of mainland Italy after the capture of Sicily, with the aim of putting additional pressure on the Axis powers.

Strategic Bombing Campaign: The conference also addressed the intensification of the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The leaders discussed the importance of air power in weakening the German war machine.

Relations with the Soviet Union: While the Soviet Union was not represented at the conference, Roosevelt and Churchill considered ways to support and coordinate with their Soviet ally in the ongoing Eastern Front. They affirmed their commitment to opening a second front in Western Europe to alleviate pressure on the Soviets.