Why did allies adopt you European first strategy?

The "Europe First" strategy was not the term actually adopted and used during World War II. Although sometimes mistakenly referred to by it in later writings. However, the term "Germany first" was indeed used at the Casablanca conference in January 1943, but it referred the strategy to primarily focus and concentrate Allied forces on defeating Germany before shifting more resources and attention to the Pacific theater to engage the Empire of Japan.

After the initial German surprise attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, the "Grand Alliance" of the Allies (Soviet Union, United Kingdom, United States, Free French, and several Western Allies ) faced the question of how to coordinate and use their collective resources to defeat the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan).

Several key considerations influenced the allies' adoption of the "Germany first" strategy:

1. Strategic Importance: Germany was seen as the most immediate and direct threat to the survival and security of the Allied nations, especially the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Defeating Germany would lead to the immediate collapse of the Axis alliance, while Japan could potentially continue fighting.

2. Military Capabilities: Germany had a large, powerful, and well-organized military, with a strong industrial base. Defeating Germany would require the Allies to mobilize and focus their military forces in Europe.

3. Theater of War: The European theater was more accessible to the Allies compared to the Asia-Pacific theater. The Allies could more readily transport troops, equipment, and supplies across the Atlantic Ocean than across the vast distances of the Pacific Ocean.

4. Political Considerations: There was a strong sense of solidarity among the European Allies who had direct experience with German aggression and occupation. The liberation of Europe was seen as a moral and political imperative.

5. Public Opinion: In both the United States and the United Kingdom, public opinion favored defeating Germany first. Americans particularly saw Germany as the primary threat to their security and way of life.

6. Soviet Pressure: The Soviet Union, which bore the brunt of German attacks on the Eastern Front, consistently pressed its Western Allies to open a second front in Europe to relieve pressure on the Soviet forces.

7. Industrial Capacity: Germany's industrial heartland, particularly the Ruhr Valley, was crucial to its war production. By bombing and attacking German industry, the Allies could weaken Germany's ability to wage war.

8. Japanese Resilience: Japan was seen as a formidable adversary, but its military capabilities were concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region. There was a belief that defeating Germany first would provide the Allies with a stronger position from which to take on Japan later.

Although Japan may have been initially underestimated, the Allies' "Germany First" strategy proved ultimately successful. By defeating Germany in 1945, the Allies removed the primary Axis power and paved the way for the eventual surrender of Japan and the end of the war.