UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION

UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION. Soon after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor (7 December 1941), British Prime Minister Winston Churchill hastened to Washington, D.C., and with President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced a "Declaration by United Nations," open to all nations, the signatories to which constituted a military alliance against "Hitlerism." In the declaration, the signatories affirmed the principles of the Atlantic Charter (1941) and pledged to employ their full economic and military resources against the Axis powers. They also vowed not to make separate armistice or peace agreements with enemy. The Declaration marks the first official use of the term "United Nations." It was signed 1 January 1942, by the United States (making its first military alliance since the alliance with France in 1778), the United Kingdom, and twenty-four other nations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dallek, Robert. Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932–1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.

Charles S. Campbell

United Nations Declaration

The Governments signatory hereto,

Having subscribed to a common program of purposes and principles embodied in the Joint Declaration of the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dated August 14, 1941, known as the Atlantic Charter.

Being convinced that complete victory over their enemies is essential to defend life, liberty, independence and religious freedom, and to preserve human rights and justice in their own lands as well as in other lands, and that they are now engaged in a common struggle against savage and brutal forces seeking to subjugate the world Declare :

1. Each government pledges itself to employ its full resources, military or economic, against those members of the Tripartite Pact and its adherents with which such government is at war.
2. Each Government pledges itself to co-operate with the Governments signatory hereto and not to make a separate armistice or peace with the enemies.

The foregoing declaration may be adhered to by other nations as which are, or which may be, rendering material assistance and contributions in the struggle for victory over Hitlerism.

United Nations Declaration. Following the Atlantic Charter a statement of Allied war aims was agreed during the first Washington conference in December 1941 (see ARCADIA). This became the basis for a war alliance, the first the USA had made since 1778. It was signed on 1 January 1942 by China, the UK, USA, and USSR, and was later signed by 22 other nations which were named as joint declarers. All signatories agreed to employ their full resources against the Axis powers; to continue such employment until those powers were defeated: to co-operate with the others; and not to make a separate peace with any Axis power. It concluded that this declaration could be adhered to by other nations which were already rendering, or might in the future render, ‘mutual assistance and contributions’ towards the defeat of the Axis, and in due course 19 others signed. The Declaration was the first official use of the term ‘United Nations’. See also Grand Alliance and San Francisco conference.

United Nations Declaration a statement signed on January 1, 1942, during World War II, at the Anglo-American Arcadia Conference in Washington, D.C. A sequel to the Atlantic Charter, it expressed the Allies' war objectives. The United Nations was established in 1945.