There was a number of Allied plans for derailing the Axis, staring with 1938: 1. * Allow Germany and Italy to expand at the expense of minor states (i.e. Africa, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia) and steer them into a massive war with the Soviet Union, after which the Allies could beat the survivors. Foreseeing this, Stalin dropped the Allies and aligned with Hitler. 2. * After Hitler had the stupidity of attacking Stalin nonetheless, a plan that mostly worked was to send aid to the USSR and let them do the heavy lifting, especially after it became apparent they wouldn't crumble in two weeks. The plan remained status quo after Pearl Harbor because the US were not yet in shape to project power into Europe. 3. * The Allied Strategic Bombing campaign that followed took a massive toll on