AngloAmerican Military Collaboration from the Panay Incident to Pearl Harbor William T Johnsen PhD Professor of Military History and Strategy Henry L Stimson Chair of Military Studies US Army War College ID: 710306
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Origins of the Grand Alliance" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Origins of the Grand AllianceAnglo-American Military Collaboration from the Panay Incident to Pearl Harbor
William T. Johnsen, Ph.D.
Professor of Military History and Strategy
Henry L. Stimson Chair of Military Studies
U.S. Army War College
Association of the U.S. Army
3 October 2016Slide2
OverviewWhy this book?
Key Themes
Key Conclusions and Insights
The StorySlide3
Why This Book?Long interest in planning for and conduct of coalition warfare.
How to explain the phenomenal success of the wartime Anglo-American coalition.
Specifically examine whether the informal Anglo-American collaborative efforts prior to Pearl Harbor made a vital difference in terms of effective cooperation after the United States entered the war.Slide4
Key Themes
Primary:
Policy
Grand strategy
Military strategy
Broad theater strategy
Command and control, to include liaison and channels of communication
Logistical and materiel issues, to include allocation of war production
Secondary:
“U.S.-U.K.
special
relationship”
FDR and decision to intervene
Churchill as grand strategistSlide5
Key Insights and Conclusions
The informal planning before Pearl
H
arbor significantly contributed to the future success of the
coalition.
Agreed grand strategy:
Germany first
Strategic defensive in the Pacific
Importance of maintaining Mediterranean and Middle East
Economic warfare
Strategic bombing offensive
Quickly eliminate Italy from the war
Seize positions from which to launch a final assault on Germany
Divided the world into areas of
responsibility.
Followed throughout the remainder of the
war.Slide6
Key Insights and Conclusions
Developed a comprehensive military strategy that went into effect after Pearl Harbor.
Quality of theater plans varied:
Successful planning in the Atlantic for naval cooperation, movement of U.S. forces to Great Britain, strategic bombing
campaign
and logistical build up for eventual return to France in June, 1944.
Largely a failure in Far East and Pacific.
C
oherent, if initially cumbersome, command and control and liaison machinery and processes.
Mixed results on the allocation of war material, but largely successful.
Developed key relationships and mutual trust.Slide7
Key Insights and Conclusions: Secondary Themes
Special relationship
Roosevelt’s Intent
Churchill as grand strategistSlide8
Dispelling Lore
United States not the naïve, junior partner, either
p
olitically, economically, or militarily.
American views prevailed:
Germany first, even at the expense of the Far East.
No U.S. reinforcement of Singapore, or British interests in the Far East.
Unity of strategic
direction.
Unity of command within areas of
responsibility.
U.S. support to Mediterranean and Middle
East.
Standardization of
equipment.
Allocation of war
production.
Collaboration not as competitive
as
some have made out.Slide9
Reflections for the FutureConflicts over national interests will arise.
Strategic requirements will no doubt exceed available resources.
In both cases, make tough choices sooner than later.
Deferring hard choices only makes later decisions tougher.
Deferring
decisions
can lead to strategic failure.
Successful coalitions depend on trust.
Trust depends on having the right people in the right places.Slide10
The StoryIntellectual
Baggage
The Early Contacts
Toward Collaboration
Full Dress Talks, The ABC-1 Talks
Implementing ABC-1Slide11
Intellectual BaggageLessons Lived, Learned, Lost: Episodic Progress in U.S. British Experiences in Coalition Warfare,
1900
–
1918
.Slide12
Intellectual BaggageNeither Friend nor Foe: U.S.-British Relations in the Interwar
Years.Slide13
Groping in the Dark: U.S.-British Coalition Encounters, 1936–1939.Slide14
Early ContactsTies that Bind:
The
Effects of Supply Negotiations,
1938
–
1940.Slide15
Inching Toward CollaborationThe Americans Come to Listen,
August
–
September, 1940.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back,
Autumn,
1940.Slide16
Full Dress Talks: The American British Conversations (ABC-1)Slide17
Implementing ABC-1Easier Said than
Done.Slide18
Implementing ABC-1Muddy
Waters.Slide19
Implementing ABC-1Racing an Unseen
Clock.Slide20
Questions