October 24 - The United Nations is Established

This Day in History: 24 October 2020

 

24 October 1945

 

75 years ago, today, the United Nations Charter was born. The principles had been first formulated in April, at the San Francisco Conference, presided over by American President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. This conference laid out a structure for a new international organisation that was to prevent another war from occurring, after both World Wars had decimated Europe and many other nations. Since the old League of Nations had not prevented the outbreak of World War II, the need for an organisation to prevent international conflict and stimulate peace was of a high necessity.

 

Two other important objectives described in the Charter were respecting the principles of equal rights and self-determination of all peoples. This was originally directed at smaller nations now vulnerable to invasion by the communist nations emerging from the war. International cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems around the world was also aimed for. The new UN Security Council was made up of the United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and China. However, the initiatives proposed by the countries were easier said than done.

 

Want to find out more about the history of the United Nations? Click here for more information, or here for more about the failure of the League of Nations.