Nevertheless , Winston Churchill and the British Chiefs of Staff were keen to break through the German defences to open up the route to the northeast through the " Ljubljana Gap " into Austria and Hungary . Whilst this would threaten Germany from the rear , Churchill was more concerned to forestall the Russians advancing into central Europe . The U.S. Chiefs of Staff had strongly opposed this strategy as diluting the Allied focus in France . However , following the Allied successes in France during the summer , the U.S. Chiefs relented , and there was complete agreement amongst the Combined Chiefs of Staff at the Second Quebec Conference on 12 September
Second Quebec Conference
Second Quebec Conference
Gothic Line