Two weeks after the United States entered World War II, the Arcadia Conference (also known as the First Washington Conference) was held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942. Working together with senior military leaders from the United States and Great Britain, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill made the initial crucial decisions for the combined war effort at this important meeting. One of these established the Combined Chiefs of Staff, comprising the high-ranking officers who would become the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and their British counterparts. It was this consultative body of top military leaders that would refine the Allied military strategy and approve all significant military decisions for the duration of conflict. The most consequential decision reached at Arcadia was that of “Germany first,” making the defeat of Germany the prime Allied objective. Additionally, plans to invade North Africa, which would come to fruition in November 1942 with Operation Torch, were extensively studied and discussed. Arcadia was the first in a series of high-level conferences held by the US and British leaders in Washington, DC; Casablanca; Quebec; Cairo; Tehran; Malta; Yalta; and Potsdam to formulate the Allied grand strategy. At the Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam conferences, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was also in attendance and played an important role. ISBN 9780160938870 (Mobi) and ISBN 9780160938887 (PDF) are companion formats to this work also available for Free download. The WW II Inter-Allied Conferences series consists of the following products available for free download: Post-Arcadia Conference (Washington, DC), January 23–May 19, 1942: ISBN 9780160938900 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938894 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938917 (PDF) Casablanca Conference (Morocco), January 14–24, 1943: ISBN 9780160938931 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938924 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938948 (PDF) Trident Conference (Washington, DC), May 12–25, 1943: ISBN 9780160938795 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938788 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938801 (PDF) Quadrant Conference (Quebec City, Canada), August 14–24, 1943: ISBN 9780160938825 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938818 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938832 (PDF) Sextant Conference (Cairo, Egypt), Eureka Conference (Tehran, Iran), and the Second Cairo Conference (Egypt), November 22–December 7, 1943: ISBN 9780160938856 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938849 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939266 (PDF) Octagon Conference (Quebec City, Canada), September 12–16, 1944: ISBN 9780160939259 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160939273 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939280 (PDF) Argonaut Conference (Malta and Yalta, Soviet Union), January 30–February 11, 1945: ISBN 9780160939303 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160939297 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939242 (PDF) Terminal Conference (Potsdam, Germany), July 17–August 2, 1945: ISBN 9780160939235 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160939310 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939327 (PDF)

Jonathan Fennell captures for the first time the true wartime experience of the ordinary soldiers from across the empire who made up the British and Commonwealth armies. He analyses why the great battles were won and lost and how the men that fought went on to change the world.

A broad-ranging study of the relationship between alliances and the conduct of grand strategy, examined through historical case studies.

How history's only five-star admirals triumphed in World War II and made the United States the world's dominant sea power. Only four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced, and together they led the U.S. navy to victory in World War II, establishing the United States as the world's greatest fleet. In The Admirals, award-winning historian Walter R. Borneman tells their story in full detail for the first time. Drawing upon journals, ship logs, and other primary sources, he brings an incredible historical moment to life, showing us how the four admirals revolutionized naval warfare forever with submarines and aircraft carriers, and how these men -- who were both friends and rivals -- worked together to ensure that the Axis fleets lay destroyed on the ocean floor at the end of World War II.

Includes the Aerial Warfare In Europe During World War II illustrations pack with over 180 maps, plans, and photos. Gen Henry H. “Hap.” Arnold, US Army Air Forces (AAF) Chief of Staff during World War II, maintained diaries for his several journeys to various meetings and conferences throughout the conflict. Volume 1 introduces Hap Arnold, the setting for five of his journeys, the diaries he kept, and evaluations of those journeys and their consequences. General Arnold’s travels brought him into strategy meetings and personal conversations with virtually all leaders of Allied forces as well as many AAF troops around the world. He recorded his impressions, feelings, and expectations in his diaries. Maj Gen John W. Huston, USAF, retired, has captured the essence of Henry H. Hap Arnold—the man, the officer, the AAF chief, and his mission. Volume 2 encompasses General Arnold’s final seven journeys and the diaries he kept therein.

Only nine days after the Arcadia Conference (also known as the First Washington Conference) was held in Washington, DC, the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) again convened for a series of twenty meetings between January 23 and May 19, 1942. All of these meetings were held in Washington, DC. During these meetings, the CCS focused on the situation in the Southwest Pacific area known as the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) area, which included Burma; support of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek; and the possibility of a German attack on England. The use of US Army and Navy aviation against Japan was also discussed. In addition to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and the British Chiefs of Staff Committee, some of these CCS meetings were attended by members of Allied and Commonwealth countries when issues relating to their national interests were considered. The Post-Arcadia Conference was the second in a series of high-level conferences held in Washington, DC; Casablanca; Quebec; Cairo; Tehran; Malta; Yalta; and Potsdam to formulate the Allied grand strategy. At the Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam conferences, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was also in attendance and played an important role. ISBN: 9780160938900 (Mobi) and ISBN: 9780160938917 (PDF) are companion digital formats to this product and are also available for free download. The entire World War II Inter-Allied Conferences series consists of these products available for free download: Arcadia Conference (Washington, DC), December 24, 1941–January 14, 1942: ISBN 9780160938870 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938863 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938887 (PDF) Casablanca Conference (Morocco), January 14–24, 1943: ISBN 9780160938931 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938924 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938948 (PDF) Trident Conference (Washington, DC), May 12–25, 1943: ISBN 9780160938795 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938788 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938801 (PDF) Quadrant Conference (Quebec City, Canada), August 14–24, 1943: ISBN 9780160938825 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938818 (ePub); ISBN 9780160938832 (PDF) Sextant Conference (Cairo, Egypt), Eureka Conference (Tehran, Iran), and the Second Cairo Conference (Egypt), November 22–December 7, 1943: ISBN 9780160938856 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160938849 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939266 (PDF) Octagon Conference (Quebec City, Canada), September 12–16, 1944: ISBN 9780160939259 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160939273 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939280 (PDF) Argonaut Conference (Malta and Yalta, Soviet Union), January 30–February 11, 1945: ISBN 9780160939303 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160939297 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939242 (PDF) Terminal Conference (Potsdam, Germany), July 17–August 2, 1945: ISBN 978-0-16-093923-5 (Mobi); ISBN 9780160939310 (ePub); ISBN 9780160939327 (PDF)