Primary Source Analysis Of The Atlantic Charter

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Laura Kohute
Dr. Gaskievicz
History 1113-01
October 30, 2017 Primary Source Analysis of the Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was created August 14, 1941 by the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and the United States' president, Theodore Roosevelt. It was written to define the principles that both countries would follow postwar ("Milestones"). It was a public document created during World War II, and copies of it were even distributed as propaganda.
This source was created when the Nazis were invading the Balkans, cutting off British access to its Indian colonial territories. The leaders in both America in the United Kingdom did not believe that the Soviet Union could not fight off the Germans for more than a month …show more content…

After the first World War, the economy crashed hard in both countries during the Great Depression of the 1930s. As a result, the fourth point lowered trade barriers. Trade was to be more open to these two countries, and they would all be able to prosper and flourish economically due to the fourth point. The fifth point also involved the economy, for it focused on making sure that both countries would be working in a joint effort to create "improved labor standards, economic advancement and social security", resulting in a better economy overall and an improved way of life ("1941: The Atlantic …show more content…

After the first World War, the Treaty of Versailles was created, but it wasn't effective. It caused hyperinflation and economic crash, among other things, and still resulted in another world war. The Atlantic Charter's last point pushed the disarmament of countries that could threaten world peace. It deemed the removal of military weapons from these countries as necessary for preventing another war.
This document is used to persuade citizens of both countries that the United States and the United Kingdom would be united in creating a better world after the end of the war. It bases its points on the mistakes that were made in handling the aftermath of World War I, and the opinions of both leaders on how the world should be postwar. Neither of the leaders came out of the conference with exactly what they trying to achieve, but Roosevelt seems to have established more of his views than Churchill, all while frustrating Churchill for not joining the war at that time.
Although these important leaders hadn't fully got what they intended, the Atlantic Charter holds a major significance in the war. It may not have been an official document, but it showed the public that the United States was still a major player, and they were fully supporting the Allies against the Axis countries in the war ("Milestones"). The charter was also a stepping stone for the creation of the United Nations