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The '''Atlantic Charter''' was an August 14, 1941 manifesto against Nazi Germany calling for [[free trade]] and self-determination.   

The '''Atlantic Charter''' was an August 14, 1941 manifesto by the U.S. and Britain for postwar peace calling for 8 goals, especially [[free trade]] and self-determination of nations.   

U.S. President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] and British [[Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]] met in Newfoundland on August 1941 in order to set long-term peace goals. The called for the destruction of Nazi Germany (which had just declared war against the Soviet Union). It called on Japan to withdraw from Indochina. Contrary to myth, there were no secret commitments.

U.S. President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] and British [[Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]] met in Newfoundland at the ''Atlantic Conference'' August 9-12, 1941, in order to set long-term peace goals. The called for the destruction of Nazi Germany (which had just declared war against the Soviet Union). It called on Japan to withdraw from Indochina. Britain at the time was at war with Germany; the U.S. was at peace, but was heavily engaged in supplying war materials and money to Britain and the Soviet Union.

The [[Soviet Union]] soon endorsed the Atlantic Charter.   

The [[Soviet Union]] and 14 other nations endorsed the Atlantic Charter in the following month.   

The statements buoyed the free world, holding out hope that an Anglo-American alliance was being formed to defeat Hitler. The alliance was indeed formed four months later, after Pearl Harbor.

The statements buoyed the free world, holding out hope that an Anglo-American alliance was being formed to defeat Hitler. The alliance was indeed formed four months later, after Pearl Harbor.

after the war. Nationalists in the British colonies in Africa and Asia used the terms of the Atlantic Charter, which promised to restore sovereignty and self-government to those who had been "forcibly deprived of them," to pressure the British government when the war ended.  

after the war. Nationalists in the British colonies in Africa and Asia used the terms of the Atlantic Charter, which promised to restore sovereignty and self-government to those who had been "forcibly deprived of them," to pressure the British government when the war ended.  

The vague policies formulated in 1941 evolved into the United Nations in 1945.

Officially the "Atlantic Charter" was just a press release; it was never approved by Congress, nor was it signed by anyone.  The vague policies it formulated echoed the [[Forteen Points]] issued by [[Woodrow Wilson]] in 1918, and evolved into the United Nations Charter in 1945. However, there was no mention of an international organization in 1941. Even so isolationists denounced it as too favorable to Britain, and darkly warned that there probably were secret commitments made.<ref> Roosevelt obtained assurances from the British that they had made no secret commitments to anyone, and would not make any without consulting Roosevelt first.</ref> There were no secret commitments.  Public opinion in America was generally favorable, but British public opinion was disappointed that the Americans would continue to stay out of the war.

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* Brinkley, Douglas, and David R. Facey-Crowther, eds. ''The Atlantic Charter'' (1994), articles by scholars. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312089309 excerpts and text search]

* Brinkley, Douglas, and David R. Facey-Crowther, eds. ''The Atlantic Charter'' (1994), articles by scholars. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312089309 excerpts and text search]

* Dobson, Alan P. "Economic Diplomacy at the Atlantic Conference." ''Review Of International Studies'' 1984 10(2): 143-163.  

* Dobson, Alan P. "Economic Diplomacy at the Atlantic Conference." ''Review Of International Studies'' 1984 10(2): 143-163.  

* Wilson, Theodore A. ''The First Summit: Roosevelt and Churchill at Placentia Bay, 1941'' (1991)  

* Wilson, Theodore A. ''The First Summit: Roosevelt and Churchill at Placentia Bay, 1941'' (1991)