Allied Grand Strategy Conference in N Africa - President Roosevelt Meets Mr Churchill One of the most momentous conferences of this war began on 14th January 1943 near Casablanca, when President Roosevelt and Mr Churchill met to survey the entire field of the war, theatre by theatre. They were accompanied by the Chiefs of Staff of the two countries. All resources were marshalled for the active and concentrated execution of the Allied plans for the offensive campaign of 1943. Mr Roosevelt later described the meeting as the unconditional surrender meeting, by which he meant that only unconditional surrender by the Axis was the only assurance of future world peace. General de Gaulle and General Giraud also met at Casablanca and discussed plans for the unification of the war effort of the French Empire.