History of the United Nations
The history of the United Nations traces the organization’s founding in 1945, institutional development, and changing role in international affairs.
Atlantic Charter: A 1941 joint statement by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill outlining principles for the postwar international order. Its principles helped frame Allied plans for a postwar organization.
Charter of the United Nations: The 1945 treaty that establishes the UN’s purposes, principles, membership, and principal organs. It is the legal foundation for the organization’s history and authority.
Korean War: A 1950–1953 war between North Korea and South Korea, involving a UN-authorized force led by the United States. The conflict became the clearest early test of collective security under the Security Council.
Decolonization: The process through which colonies became independent states, especially during the twentieth century. Newly independent states reshaped UN membership, voting coalitions, and debates about sovereignty.
Reform of the United Nations Security Council: Proposals to change the Security Council’s membership, representation, or decision-making rules. The 1945 balance of power increasingly conflicts with demands for contemporary representation.
Declaration by United Nations: A 1942 declaration in which 26 countries pledged cooperation against the Axis powers and endorsed the Atlantic Charter. The declaration established the wartime coalition whose name the later organization adopted.
United Nations General Assembly: The UN’s deliberative body in which all member states have one vote. Its expanding membership made it a central forum for decolonization and global debate.
Suez Crisis: A 1956 international crisis after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal and Israel, Britain, and France invaded Egypt. UN diplomacy and the first large emergency force helped secure the withdrawal of invading troops.
United Nations peacekeeping: A set of operations in which UN personnel help maintain or implement peace agreements and protect civilians. Peacekeeping developed into a defining practice despite not being specified in the Charter.
United Nations veto power: The authority of each permanent Security Council member to block substantive resolutions. Vetoes can prevent action even when most states support a response to a crisis.