The First Quebec Conference, codenamed Quadrant, was a highly secret military conference held during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. It took place in
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
on August 17–24, 1943, at both the
Citadelle and the
Château Frontenac. The chief representatives were
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
and
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
, hosted by the Canadian prime minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King.
Conference
Although Churchill suggested that Mackenzie King be involved in all discussions, Roosevelt vetoed the idea owing to concern that future conferences would be burdened by all of the Allied nations demanding seats. As a result, Mackenzie King's hospitality was almost purely for ceremonial purposes.
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
, leader of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, had been invited to join the conference, but he did not attend for military reasons.
The
Allies agreed to begin discussions for the planning of the
invasion of France, codenamed
Operation Overlord, in a secret report by the
Combined Chiefs of Staff. It was agreed that Overlord would commence on May 1, 1944, but this was subsequently disregarded, and a later date was finalised. However, Overlord was not the only option; for example,
Operation Jupiter remained a strong possibility had the Germans proved too powerful on the French coast. In the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
(a
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
on which Churchill was very keen) they resolved to concentrate more force to remove
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
from the alliance of
Axis powers
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
and to occupy it along with
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
. Churchill and Roosevelt made it clear that they would only accept unconditional surrender from Italy, with a complete and immediate cessation of fighting. News came through of the
fall of Sicily to Allied forces, an invasion that had taken just 38 days. It was then decided that an
invasion of Italy would begin on September 3, 1943. However, an
armistice was signed that same day, which officially put Italy out of the war.
There were discussions about improving the coordination of efforts by the Americans, British, and Canadians to
develop an
atomic bomb. Churchill and Roosevelt, without Canadian input, signed the
Quebec Agreement, stating that the nuclear technology would never be used against one another, that they would not use it against third parties without the consent of one another, but also that
Tube Alloys would not be discussed with third parties. Canada, although not being represented at the particular meeting, played a key role in this agreement as it was a major source of uranium and heavy water, both essential in the atomic bomb.
It was decided that operations in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
should be limited to supplying
guerrillas, whereas operations against
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
would be intensified in order to exhaust Japanese resources, cut their communications lines, and secure forward bases from which the Japanese mainland could be attacked.
In addition to the strategic discussions, which were communicated to the Soviet Union and to
Chiang Kai-shek in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, the conference also issued a joint statement on
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, intended to calm tensions as the British
occupation was becoming increasingly untenable. The conference also condemned German atrocities in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.
In the
Pacific theater the conference decided to bypass and isolate
Rabaul rather than proceed with the original plan of taking Rabaul. This decision fulfilled General
Douglas MacArthur's plan to
neutralize the heavily fortified fortress of Rabaul in
New Britain. MacArthur's
Operation Cartwheel led to the creation of a de facto prisoner-of-war camp of over 100,000 Japanese troops who were cut off from the rest of their forces.
In parallel with the military discussions, U.S. Secretary of State
Cordell Hull held a private meeting with British Foreign Secretary
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957.
Achi ...
, where both expressed opposition to the forcible dismemberment of Germany, favoring a more restrained postwar settlement.
It was clear that eliminating Italy from the war was the Allies' main priority; this was expected to be done by the end of 1943. Following this, the next hope was that Germany would be defeated by the fall of 1944, which would leave just Japan remaining among the Axis powers.
Following the conference, Churchill was on holiday at a fishing camp and then, on August 31, 1943, delivered a radio address before travelling by a special train that was going to Washington, D.C., to resume talks with Roosevelt.
Gallery
File:Quebec Conference leaders.svg, On August 18, 1943 at the first Quebec Conference. (Seated: King, Roosevelt, Churchill)
File:FDR and Anthony Eden at the Quebec Conference.jpg, President Roosevelt, seated next to Princess Alice and Prime Minister King of Canada, greeting British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957.
Achi ...
.
File:Churchill and Anthony Eden at Quebec Conference.jpg, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
and Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden
File:Women at War 1939 - 1945 TR1277.jpg, Women's Royal Naval Service officers sightseeing after the conference
Misplaced portfolio
Given the highly secret topic under discussion at the conference, security at the Château Frontenac and the Quebec Citadelle was important. Sgt. Maj. Émile Couture (then 25 years of age) of the Canadian Army was responsible for cleaning the offices at both of these locations after the Conference had ended. Couture found a leather portfolio with a gold inscription "Churchill-Roosevelt, Quebec Conference, 1943." on the exterior and kept it as a souvenir not realizing that it contained nearly complete plans for
Operation Overlord. That evening Couture discovered the contents of the portfolio and, realizing the extremely sensitive nature of those documents, hid the portfolio under his mattress until he could return the portfolio in the morning. Couture was investigated by
Scotland Yard and the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
to ensure none of the information had been leaked. At the
Second Quebec Conference Couture was awarded the
British Empire Medal for his silence though it was attributed for "services rendered". Couture was interviewed on Radio-Canada's radio program ''Appelez-moi Lise'' by Lise Payette in 1972 about this issue. Additional magazine interviews with Couture are on display at the permanent exhibit for both Quebec Conferences in the Quebec Citadelle
after September 2019.
See also
*
Second Quebec Conference
*
List of Allied World War II conferences
*
Manhattan Project
References
Further reading
*
* British official history.
External links
* .
* .
full audio recording of address delivered by Winston Churchill, August 31, 1943
{{Diplomatic history of World War II
World War II conferences
History of Quebec City
Diplomatic conferences in Canada
1943 conferences
1943 in Canada
1943 in international relations
Canada–United States relations
United Kingdom–United States relations
Canada–United Kingdom relations
1943 in Quebec
August 1943 in Canada
Events in Quebec City
20th century in Quebec City