What is the Atlantic Charter? The signing of the Atlantic Charter and its implications for history

During the Second World War, the Soviet Union put forward a program aimed at combating fascism. It rallied around the USSR the progressive forces of the whole world. However, England and the United States were not in a hurry to determine their own policies, in this connection they were on the last positions in the issue of participation in events. The governments of these countries have decided to correct the situation.

The signing of the Atlantic Charter

In the first year of the war, the leaders of the governments of the non-belligerent United States and the engaging in England met to discuss and proclaim the goals of the battle. The place of their meeting was the battleship Prince of Wales. He brought Winston Churchill to Argentia Bay, where he met Roosevelt.

What is the Atlantic Charter? This document was a joint statement of the leaders of the two countries. It was promulgated on August 14, 1941. Ten days later, on August 24, the Soviet Union joined him.

Main goals

The Atlantic Charter of 1941 was to determine the further arrangement of the world after the Allies won the war. Discussion was held, despite the fact that the US at that time in the fighting did not participate. The Atlantic Charter became the basis for the creation of the UN, as well as the formation of an economic and political world order.

Document structure

The Atlantic Charter of 1941 included such items:

• Resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with the opinion of the people.
• Reduction of trade barriers.
• No territorial claims from the UK and America.
• The right of existing peoples of the world to self-determination.
• Release from fear and need.
• Global welfare enhancement and economic cooperation.
• Freedom of the Seas.
• The post-war disarmament of the aggressor countries and the general decline in military power in the world as a whole.

The item on economic cooperation and global welfare improvement was proposed to Roosevelt and Churchill in London by John Gilbert Wainant, who did not attend the meeting.

Adoption of provisions by other countries

The next meeting was held in the same 1941, September 24. The venue for the conference was London. Representatives of the leadership of other states agreed with the principles reflected in the Atlantic Charter. In particular, Belgium, Greece, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Yugoslavia, the USSR, "Free France", Poland, Norway joined the document.

Basic principles

The Atlantic Charter of 1941 reflected the main direction of US and British policy. On the basic principles of the document, as representatives of the governments of these countries expressed themselves, they based their hopes for a better future for the whole world. Churchill and Roosevelt pointed out that their states do not have aspirations to conquer new territories. They also expressed disagreement with geographic changes that are contrary to the freely expressed desires of the peoples concerned. In addition, the leaders noted that they show respect for the right of other states to choose their own form of government.

Churchill and Roosevelt advocated equal opportunities for all states in the issue of admission to trade, as well as raw material sources of peace. Global economic interaction, according to government representatives, should have been aimed at ensuring for all a higher standard of living.

Characteristics of the document

The Atlantic Charter was quite democratic. Its principles corresponded to the spirit of the times, reflected the liberation character of military operations. The proclamation of the document was at that time very positive. However, the implementation of the principles depended on the meaning of the Atlantic Charter by the governments of the United States and Britain. The expected practical steps that the leadership of the states were going to take to implement all the points also had significance. In general, the Atlantic Charter is a compromise between the views of the ruling circles of Britain and the United States. The most expressed in the document was the point of view of America.

Proposed characterization of the post-war period

Representatives of the governments of England and the United States did not take into account the USSR at all. They believed that after the war the Soviet Union would be significantly weakened. In conferring, Churchill and Roosevelt had in mind the Anglo-American world. The US representative believed that the foundation of a post-war international organization can not even be said until the forces of the United States and Britain have done some work.

The paragraphs of the Atlantic Charter, concerning the freedom of the sea and equal opportunities for all peoples, foreshadowed the postwar expansion of American imperialism throughout the world, including England. Churchill noted this. To eliminate such preconditions, he made an attempt to exclude these items from the agreement. However, he did not succeed in this. Shortly after the end of the conference, in his public statements, Churchill expressed the view that the Atlantic Charter does not deal with interactions within the UK.

Relations with the Soviet Union

Both sides agreed that it is in the interests of the United States and Britain to provide assistance to the USSR with weapons and equipment. The British Chiefs of Staff, like Churchill himself, were against the use of their own large armed contingents. They believed that one could fully confine themselves to the sea and air war, the strengthening of the blockade and secret supplies to equip the Resistance forces in the territory of occupied Europe.

Despite the fact that the American staff chiefs tried to refrain from expressing their views on strategic problems, the political line that was put forward by British leaders met the goal that united the United States and England in the best way. The task was to conduct military operations against Germany, mainly through the use of "foreign hands", seeking in the course of battles mutual weakening of the opponents.

To implement these plans, the maximum intensification of the fighting on the Soviet-German front was necessary, since it was on this line that the main forces of the Germans concentrated. Due to the fact that England and America represented the USSR after the war weakened and stricken by the state, they assumed the need for subsequent material assistance to the country. As a result, representatives of the leadership of the United States and Great Britain offered a trilateral meeting in Moscow to the government of the Soviet Union. The Soviet leadership agreed.

Accession of the USSR

At the inter-union conference, held September 24, 1941 in London, the Soviet Ambassador Maysky issued a declaration on the inclusion of the Soviet Union in the charter. The agreement indicated that the practical application of the principles of the document will inevitably be carried out taking into account the circumstances, historical features, the needs of a particular state. The Soviet declaration clearly covered the issues that the drafters of the original version had bypassed. In particular, the government of the USSR determined the aims and nature of the war.

For all states and peoples, the main task was set: to direct all its forces and means to the early defeat of the aggressors. As for the post-war period, the Soviet leadership defended the right of every people to territorial integrity and state independence, openly pointing out the disagreement with the colonial policy of the imperialist countries.