The origins of the United Nations can be traced back to 1941 when the Atlantic Charter established the need for an international organization. In 1943 and 1944, the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and China agreed to form the UN and issued proposals to establish a general international organization at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference. The key aims of the UN were to maintain international peace and security through dispute arbitration and collective action, and to achieve international cooperation on economic, social, and humanitarian issues. Both the League of Nations and UN aimed to promote collective security and neither had their own army, though the UN addressed some of the League's weaknesses like allowing non-unanimous decisions in the General Assembly and Security Council.

1. CAMBRIDGEAS
HISTORYREVISION
INTERNATIONALRELATIONS
5.4 THEORIGINSANDAIMS
OFUNITEDNATIONS

2. ORIGINS
Atlantic Charter 1941: Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin agree on need for
UN.
November 1943: meeting in Moscow of USA, Britain, USA and Republic
of China – agreed to form UN.
Dumbarton Oaks 1944: same four countries issued ‘proposals for the
establishment of a general international organisation’.

3. AIMS
Maintain international peace and security: arbitration of disputes;
collective security.
Achieve international co-operation: on international economic, social
and humanitarian issues.

4. SIMILARITIESBETWEENLONANDUN
Basic aims and objectives: virtually identical.
Impact of major wars: both emerged at the end of major wars.
Role of USA: US presidents played key roles in establishment of both.
Collective security: common theme in both.
No army: neither League nor UN had army.
Organisations: UN retained many of the League’s organisations (e.g.
International Labour Organisation, International Court of Justice).
General Assembly: common to both.
Council: League = Council; UN = Security Council.

5. DIFFERENCESWITHTHELON
General Assembly decisions: no longer had to be unanimous.
Security Council decisions: no longer had to be unanimous; however,
there had to be agreement between the five permanent members
(veto rights).
Wider scope: scope of the UN was intended to be wider than that of
the League (e.g. social and humanitarian issues).
Wider membership: UN had a wider membership than League.

6. REASONSFORTHELEAGUESWEAKNESSES
Association with the Paris peace settlement: seen as an organisation of the
victorious countries in the First World War.
Absence of major countries: USA refused to join; USSR and Germany
forbidden entry.
Undermined by other bodies: e.g. Council of Ambassadors; treaties made
without League’s involvement (e.g. Locarno 1925).
Veto: member countries could veto action by the League when their own
interests were at stake.
Great Depression: led to extreme nationalism in Italy, Germany and Japan;
prevented Britain and France from taking action against them.
No army: League lacked its own armed forces.
Collective security: relied on support from member states.
National self-interest: national self-interest put ahead of international
responsibilities.