The Atlantic Charter was signed August 14, 1941, four months before
the United States officially entered World War II. It was a joint statement by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945; served
1933–45) of the United States and Prime Minister Winston Churchill
(1874–1965) of Great Britain. The charter reflected their countries’
eight common objectives for a postwar world. The objectives emphasized
the different philosophies of the two democracies and the other main
Allied power, the Soviet Union. President Roosevelt hoped the charter
would encourage support in the United States for entering the war
alongside the Allies.
The Atlantic Charter was written during a secret meeting between
Roosevelt and Churchill when the United States was still technically a
neutral country. It was becoming clear to Roosevelt that the United
States would probably enter the war soon, so the meeting covered many
issues concerning the war. Churchill was not convinced of the need for
a joint declaration, but he introduced ideas in a draft statement. A number of points proved to be controversial, but at the end of the meeting a
final statement was formed. The ideas it contained would prove to be
highly important in guiding Allied initiatives throughout the war and in
establishing postwar peace.
The Atlantic Charter included eight basic points. It set forth the
concept that each country should have the right of self-determination.
This meant that territorial changes would happen only with the approval
of the people concerned. Furthermore, each country would be allowed
to establish the government of its choosing. Both powers declared that
they sought no territorial gains from the war. Other points reflected their
hopes for a world in which all nations would have access to trade and
prosperity. They included thoughts on a new system of international security that would allow freedom of the seas, encourage fewer arms, and
reduce fear in the world.
The Atlantic Charter was welcomed in both countries. Its importance, however, became clear only after the United States entered the war. The Charter helped define Allied goals when it was included as part
of the Declaration by the United Nations in January 1942. Twenty-six
nations embraced the aims of the Atlantic Charter when they signed the
Declaration by the United Nations. That number eventually doubled.
The Atlantic Charter had a significant impact on the postwar world.
The notion of an international system of security prompted the formation of the United Nations (UN), created in 1945. By grounding itself
in the declaration of 1942, the UN embraced the principles of the
Atlantic Charter. The right of self-determination thus became a guiding
principle in international politics. In the thirty years following the war,
important transfers of political power happened throughout the world.
With encouragement from the Atlantic Charter, many countries were
motivated to establish their independence from outside rule.