The United Nations and Decolonization

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

US President (1933–1945) Atlantic Charter (1941). Architect of the post-WWII order who coined the term "United Nations." He integrated social and economic issues (New Deal style) into the UN to ensure US domestic support and avoid the "Wilsonian" mistake of isolationism.

Eleanor Roosevelt

1948 (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Activist and chair of the UDHR drafting committee. Her moral authority was essential in embedding human rights into the UN framework, even as diplomats prioritized Realpolitik.

Winston Churchill

1941 (Atlantic Charter)

Josef Stalin

1943 (Tehran)

Jawaharlal Nehru & Sukarno

1955 (Bandung Conference). Leaders of India and Indonesia who organized the Bandung Conference to promote anti-colonialism and "Non-Alignment" (neutrality) during the Cold War.

Zhou Enlai

1955 (Bandung Conference). Premier of China who used Bandung to bridge communist ideology with anti-imperialism, famously condemning "colonialism in all its forms" to subtly critique both Western and Soviet influence.

The Atlantic Charter

August 1941. A joint declaration by FDR and Churchill setting out post-war principles like self-determination and free trade. It was the ideological "first step" toward the UN before the US even entered the war.

Declaration by United Nations

January 1942. The first official use of the term "United Nations." It was originally a military alliance of 26 nations pledging to defeat the Axis powers, not a peace organization.

The Percentages Agreement

1944. A secret informal deal between Churchill and Stalin that divided Eastern Europe into specific spheres of influence (e.g., 90% Russian influence in Romania), proving Great Power politics coexisted with UN ideals.

Dumbarton Oaks Conference

1944. A meeting of the "Big Four" to negotiate the UN blueprint. Key debates centered on the scope of the organization (security vs. social) and the structure of the Security Council Veto.

San Francisco Conference

1945. The event where the UN Charter was finalized and signed by 50 nations. It marked the transition from a wartime military alliance to a permanent international organization.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

1948. A non-binding declaration that shifted the international focus from Minority Rights to individual Human Rights. This shift was strategic, as individual rights were seen as less destabilizing to state sovereignty.

Russo-Japanese War

1905. An early catalyst for decolonization where a non-white power defeated a European empire, shattering the myth of white invincibility and inspiring global anti-colonial movements.

Bandung Conference

1955. A meeting of 29 Asian and African states marking the rise of the "Third World." It promoted decolonization and non-alignment, rejecting the pressure to join either the US or Soviet blocs.

"United Nations" (Evolution)

Initially a wartime alliance (1942) meant to defeat the Axis. Humanitarian functions (UNRRA) were added during the war to legitimize the alliance to the public before it became a formal organization in 1945.

Human Rights vs. Minority Rights

A shift argued by Mazower. The League’s focus on "Minority Rights" failed by giving powers pretexts to invade neighbors. The UN shifted to individual "Human Rights" to protect state sovereignty from similar interference.

The "Four Policemen"

FDR’s concept for the UN Security Council (US, UK, USSR, China). These powers would act as trustees to enforce global order, reflecting a hierarchy similar to the 19th-century Concert of Powers.

Security Council Veto

The power of the P5 to block substantive decisions. It acknowledges the reality of power politics by ensuring the UN cannot take action against a Great Power, preventing the organization's collapse.

"The Third World"

Coined by Alfred Sauvy (referencing the "Third Estate"). Originally a positive term for nations seeking an independent path from capitalism (1st World) and communism (2nd World).

Article 2.6 (Binding Authority)

A unique UN Charter feature stating the UN can ensure non-member states follow peace and security principles. It asserts the UN's universal authority even over non-signatories.

Neo-colonialism

The concept that Western powers retained control over former colonies through economic dominance and political interference (e.g., Lumumba's assassination) despite formal "flag independence."