In 1941, the US had not yet joined the war, but Roosevelt thought it was only a matter of time. When Churchill asked for American support, Roosevelt made clear that the US would not go to war to save the British Empire. The US was founded on a vision of national self-determination, and Roosevelt considered that a categorical imperative for world order. If the British wanted American support, they’d have to give up their colonies.
The Atlantic Charter, released on August 14, 1941, outlines the United States’ and United Kingdom’s vision for world order after the end of the war. The third clause was especially important to Roosevelt:
They respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live; and they wish to see sovereign rights and self-government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them.
This clause reflects a concession Roosevelt demanded from the British for American support in the war: the end of the British
From August 9 to August 12, 1941—months before the Imperial Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the US into the war—President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to discuss their goals for the world order that would emerge after the war.
External links
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. “The Atlantic Charter”. https://www.fdrlibrary.org/atlantic-charter
- Wikipedia. “The Atlantic Charter”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Charter