The Atlantic Charter was an agreement between the United States and Britain that was signed on August 14, 1941. The meeting, itself took place on the two ships, Augusta and The Prince of Wales. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill agreed to discuss this affair in Placentia Bay in New Foundland. Their vision was for a more peaceful post-World War II world. One of the most interesting things about this ordeal was that the United States was not even involved in the war at the time. Roosevelt sought out that this agreement was necessary for a better world. Both men had many hopes for this what some would call an alliance. Churchill went in hoping that the United States would aid Britain in the military effort to block Axis threat in North Africa, the Atlantic islands, and Southeast Asia. While Roosevelt aimed for “peace aims” to compensate for the isolationism back in the U.S. Roosevelt also wanted to “get on record Britain’s commitment to such traditional American goals as open agreements, self-determination, and multilateral trade. The charter was centered among eight comm-

on principals. The majority being of self-independence and that the U.S. or Britain would gain no territory as a result of World War II. Both men almost achieved what they came for. Although Churchill did not receive immediate response of the United States plans on military help, he was happy with what happened and decided to be patient with the matter. The reactions of many were different for both sides. Britain applauded their primeminister’s actions and the support they gained from the Americans. While the Americans who felt that they should stay out of the war entirely, were at ease with the compromise. Other allied nations were also very pleased with the comfort of the U.S. at their side. Within a month, the USSR and 14 other anti-Axis countries commended the Atlantic Charter.

But what this really the best move for the United States at this time. Even though the American and Britain population was satisfied, many other nation’s leaders were not. Hitler was displeased with the Charter and issued that this was propaganda and wanted all sources of it to be banished from the German public or of occupied Europe. The charter also could have been why the U.S. even entered the war. The United States finally initiated in the war when a German U-boat fired on a U.S. destroyer on September 4. The United was now in a naval war with Hitler. But they would soon find out that it was not a German boat that fired on the U.S., it was of Japanese heritage. The Charter did not directly cause this attack to happen, but it might have shown that the U.S. needed to be taken out soon so that Britain and other allied nations did not become too powerful.

But to this day, The Atlantic Charter has been a huge stepping-stone for the development of the United Nations. Its policies are still strongly upheld by the U.S. and seemed to be very beneficial in ways. But it still raises questions on whether or not, without the Atlantic Charter, that the United would have ever even entered the war. Or even that Germany could of possibly won without our efforts. 525