`You mentioned India,’ he [Churchill] growled.`Yes, I [Roosevelt] can’t believe that we can fight a war against fascist slavery, and at the same time not work to free people all over the world from a backward colonial policy.’

Roosevelt was determined to have the British commit themselves now to the principles of the Four Freedoms, knowing that they were incompatible with the continued existence of the Empire.

…The British leadership now knew first hand, if they had only feared or suspected as much before, that Roosevelt, as a matter of absolute conviction, was at war with the British Empire.

Vinod, at Sepia Mutiny,  goes back to the Atlanta Conference, a meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt in 1941 ‘where FDR made Indian Independence a pre-requisite to American involvement in World War II’.  Very interesting post.