Arcadia Conference
The Arcadia Conference, held in Washington, D.C., from December 22, 1941, to January 14, 1942, marked a pivotal moment during World War II as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt solidified their partnership in the fight against the Axis powers. This conference followed shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and was instrumental in establishing the framework for the United Nations, based on principles from the Atlantic Charter. Attendees included leaders from twenty-six nations, emphasizing a unified commitment to military collaboration and the defeat of Germany and Japan.
While the two leaders shared common goals, they had differing views on the future of colonial empires, which led to an unspoken tension during discussions. Churchill's active involvement in military strategies, often at odds with British generals, contrasted with Roosevelt's reliance on military experts. The conference set significant precedents for future meetings among Allied leaders, reinforcing the importance of cooperation among nations. Churchill's impactful speeches during this period helped to strengthen his reputation as a vital ally, culminating in a relationship that many view as a cornerstone of Allied success in the war. The outcomes of the Arcadia Conference were pivotal for both immediate military strategy and the post-war international order.
Arcadia Conference
The Event First strategic conference, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, of the president of the United States and prime minister of Great Britain, along with delegations from other countries
Also Known As First Washington Conference
Date December 22, 1941-January 14, 1942
Place Washington, D.C.
The Arcadia Conference resulted in the Anglo-American agreement that the defeat of Germany had priority over the war in the Pacific against Japan. It also committed Great Britain and the United States to the establishment of a new international organization, the United Nations, initiated the use of summit meetings for the formulation of allied strategy, and contributed to the development of a working relationship between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston S. Churchill.
Winston Churchill arrived in Washington, D.C., during the evening of December 22, 1941, fifteen days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. With the exception of a trip to Ottawa to address the Canadian Parliament and a five-day vacation in Palm Beach, Florida, Churchill resided in the White House until January 14, 1942. Building on principles advanced in the Atlantic Charter (1941), Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to establish a new international organization, the United Nations. In addition to developing a close working and personal relationship, Roosevelt and Churchill and their staffs established a framework for the Combined Chiefs of Staff Committee (CCOS), which emerged shortly after the conference. Unlike Roosevelt, who deferred to his military experts on military matters, Churchill was actively involved in all aspects of military strategy and tactics—often much to the dismay of British generals. Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to establish Operation Sledgehammer, for the building of an overwhelming offensive force in Britain for operations in Europe. Before the conference concluded, it was agreed that four American divisions would continue their training in Northern Ireland.
Churchill’s address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on December 26, 1941, established his reputation as the leader of a trusted and committed ally. That evening, Churchill suffered a heart attack that was kept secret from everyone except his physician. Undaunted, and with little sleep, Churchill went through the next several days effectively, with his doctor close behind. Churchill’s successful speech in Washington was followed by another oratorical triumph when he addressed Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa on December 30.
During the conference, the only point of seeming disagreement—it was never raised—emerged when Churchill argued for the restoration of the British Empire after the war. Roosevelt, an anti-imperialist, had no intention of preserving the colonial empires of the past.
On January 14, 1942, the Arcadia Conference concluded, and Churchill departed for London, via Bermuda. To many, the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom was sealed irrevocably during these deliberations in Washington.
Impact
The Arcadia Conference, attended by leaders from twenty-six countries, established precedent for the processes and procedures for meetings of the Allied heads of state during World War II. Roosevelt and Churchill, although they differed in their opinions on the future of the British Empire and other colonial empires, agreed on the basic tenets of the United Nations and that they would conduct the war against Germany and Japan until those powers were defeated. They endorsed the Atlantic Charter and agreed not to make a separate peace against the enemies of Germany and Japan, without the agreement of their allies.
Bibliography
D’este, Carlo. Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945. New York: Harper, 2008.
Keegan, John. The Second World War. New York: Penguin, 2005.
Smith, Jean Edward. FDR. New York: Random House, 2008.