The Birth of the United Nations

The rapid advancement of scientific and technological weaponry during World War 2 resulted in the deaths of 40 million people and the eviction of 21 million. After this terrible incident, the world needed peace, just as the League of Nations attempted to achieve after World War 1. In the 19th century, there was a military rivalry between European nations that eventually led to World War I in 1914. Germany and the Allies (France, Russia, Britain) signed the armistice agreement in 1918, which officially ended the First World War.

In 1918, Woodrow Wilson, the US president at the time, outlined a 14-point plan for a powerful international order to uphold peace and avert future conflicts. After the Paris Peace Conference, which put an end to the First World War, the League of Nations was created on January 10 of the following year. Its headquarters were founded in Geneva, Switzerland, with a concentration on public health, refugee welfare, and labour welfare in order to put an end to violent agitation. The League was Woodrow Wilson's concept, and he received the Nobel Peace Prize for it in 1919.

42 countries were the founding members of League of Nations, but 16 of them withdrew in upcoming years. League of Nations had 4 permanent members - United Kingdom, Italy, France and Japan. Four other countries used to be temporary members for every three years. Interestingly, USA, who proposed the idea of the League did not joined it, as Wilson, who was from the Democratic party could not pass the resolution in the American Congress as it had the majority of the Republicans. Later, League of Nations was not able to stop the military aggression by the Axis powers in the 1930s. Countries like Spain, Japan, Italy withdrew their membership. In 1933, Germany also withdrew and Hitler publicly denounce the League of Nation and Treaty of Versailles. Soviet Union joined it very late on 18 April 1934, but was expelled after it invaded Finland. League of Nations failed its objectives when the Second World War took place.

After seeing how the Second World War ended with the use of nuclear weapons, no one wanted a Third World War. The idea of UN was established before the second World war ended. US President, Franklin Roosevelt and British PM, Winston Churchill drafted the Atlantic Charter which defined goals for the post-war world, on 12 June 1941 at Inter-Allied Conference. Later, 8 exiled governments along with Soviet Union and Free French Forces, unanimously agreed to the common principles set forth by Britain and the USA. On the New Year's Day of 1942, representatives of USA, UK, Soviet Union and China signed the 'Declaration by United States'. Next  At that time, the term United Nations became synonym with the Allied Powers and those countries who wanted to join the UN, had to declare war on the Axis Powers. October 1943, was the first time when it was announced that a new international organization is going to be found succeeding the League of Nations. Followed this was the Tehran Conference where Roosevelt, Churchill and Joseph Stalin discussed the idea of post-war international organizations. At the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, proposal was sent to 26 grand alliance nations to form the United Nations. Process of writing of U.N. Charter starts after this conference. Some remaining issues were resolved at Yalta Conference in February 1945, after which development reached the last phase.

Fifty countries (forty-six nations, including the four sponsors) were invited to San Francisco in the same year. Delegates of these countries met between 25 April and 26 June 1945 at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to discuss upon Dumbarton Oaks proposals and the Yalta Agreements. Out of fifty, 49 countries sent their representatives to sign the U.N. Charter, except Poland. There was no recognizable government in Poland at that time, hence space for its signatures were left. On 15 October 1945, Poland signed the charter. But, UN was not finally established after the charter was signed. Many countries had to pass the resolution of being the member of the UN in their respective parliament. On 24 October 1945 - United Nations finally came into existence, aimed to promote peace, justice and better living for all mankind.