World War II Outcomes

World War II Outcomes

The war was over, but could the Allied powers forge a lasting peace? How could they punish those responsible for the war and the atrocities that were committed while avoiding the mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles? In the wake of Europe's destruction, the Soviet Union turned from ally to potential adversary. Its collosal power grab of much of Eastern Europe set the scene for much of the next 40 years. Watch this presentation to see how the Allied powers dealt with all these issues at the end of the war.

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United Nations

Before WWII was even over, the Allied powers made plans to establish a global organization that would be dedicated to facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. That organization is the United Nations, whose name was coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his "Declaration by United Nations" from January 1942.

Of course, the idea of an international organization devoted to resolving international conflicts wasn't anything new. President Wilson helped create the League of Nations after WWI to serve the same purpose. The League had a number of shortcomings, especially the inability to enforce its decisions with military force. World leaders tried to fix these issues by giving the U.N. much greater powers. For one, the U.N. could actually use troops to back up its decisions. Multinational troops made up of soldiers from member nations could now be deployed to trouble spots around the world for peacekeeping missions. This was a huge step toward making the organization successful.

Structure

In order to balance the wishes of the largest, most powerful countries that would provide the bulk of the money to fund the organization, the main decision-making body of the U.N. was divided into two groups - the General Assembly and the Security Council. Every member nation has a representative in the General Assembly where they get one vote. This body can make recommendations to member governments, but these are not binding and therefore aren't enforceable. The Security Council is charged with maintaining peace and security among countries. Its decisions are binding on members, and can be backed up with the use of troops. The Security Council is made up of 15 member states, consisting of 5 permanent members–China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States–and 10 non-permanent members which rotate every two years among all member countries. The five permanent members have the most power since they can veto any resolution.

In addition to its peacekeeping functions, the U.N. plays many other roles including promoting economic development, developing health and education programs, and aiding refugees. This body currently has 193 member states and is headquartered in New York. It has been much more effective at achieving its goals than the League of Nations.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Alongside its peacekeeping mission, the U.N. set out to establish a basic set of rights which every individual in every member state enjoys. The brutality which the Germans and Japanese had inflicted on certain minorities and foreigners in the name of racial superiority prompted the U.N. to issue the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 as one of its first acts. This declaration consists of 30 articles which provide a code of conduct for the treatment of people under the protection of their government. This declaration has had a major impact on the world influencing most of the constitutions created since 1948. It has also served as the foundation for many national and international laws.

World War II Outcomes Review

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