EuerleLittleBelgum1

SophieEuerle

BriannaLittle
TommyBelgum
Miller
APEnglishLanguageandCompositionPeriod4
22September2014
RooseveltandtheFormationoftheUN
AsthesecondWorldWarwascomingtoanend,FranklinD.Rooseveltwasbeginning
hisfourthterminpresidency.Althoughhedidnotseetheendofthewarbeforehisdeath,he
desiredpeaceandunitythroughoutthenations.Hebelievedthattheonlywaytohaveafriend
istobeone(FourthInauguralAddress).ThisideaprovokedtheformationoftheUnited
Nations.
FranklinD.Rooseveltstonechangesdrasticallyfromhisthirdtofourthinaugural
address.Inhisthirdinauguraladdress,RooseveltemphasizestheimportanceofAmerican
moraleandbeliefintherebuildingofAmericaaftertheGreatDepression.Hisaddressislengthy
andmetaphorical.Onthecontrary,inhisfourthaddress,FranklinD.Rooseveltisclearand
conciseindemonstratinghisfundamentalgoalforinternationalpeace.TheJapaneseattackon
PearlHarborin1941causedRooseveltsfocustoshiftfrominternalimprovementtoimmediate
internationalpeace..WhileAmericawaspreoccupiedwiththeNewDealprogramsand
recoveringfromthestockmarketcrash,PearlHarborwasunexpectedlyassailed.Thistragedy
becameanexternalconflictthatcausedAmericatorefocusfromrebuildingitselftodefending
itselfwithanambitionforworldpeace.BecauseofthesuddenbloodshedonDecember7th,

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1941,FDRfearedthattheU.Sforceswouldbehardpressedtofightawarontwofrontswith
thepossibilityofaGermanattackanddecidedonjoiningtheAlliedforces(FDRreactstonews
ofPearlHarborBombing).Consequently,threemonthsaftertheUnitedStatesdeclaredwaron
Japan,theysignedtheAngloAmericanallianceof1942,signifyingtheUnitedStatessslow
retreatfromisolationism.Thisagreementstipulated
whereasthePresidentoftheUnitedStates
ofAmericahasdetermined,pursuanttotheActofCongressofMarch11,1941,thatthedefense
oftheUnitedKingdomagainstaggressionisvitaltothedefenseoftheUnitedStatesof
America.(YaltaConference)Now,theUnitedStateswasimmersedintoWorldWarIIand
entangledwiththeAlliedpowers.
AsWorldWarIIcarriedontobeoneoftheworstwarswithadizzying60million
casualties(TheNationalWWIIMuseum),FDRproclaimedthathewantedpeaceandunity
betweenthenations.BecausetheAlliedForceswereabletoaccomplishsomuchasaunified
pact,heconcludedthatAmericawouldbeabletoaccomplishmuchmoreiftheywereunified
withothernationsafterthewar.Withmultiplelargecountriesforminganalliance,therewould
befewerlargeconflicts,andthereforefewerwars.Unificationwouldbeinthebestinterestof
everyone.
TheU.N.becameofficialonOctober24,1945,whichwassixmonthsafterRoosevelt's
deathbycerebralhemorrhage(FDRDies).Althoughheneversawitsformation,Franklin
RooseveltwasresponsibleforimmensecontributionstowardstheestablishmentoftheUN.The
LeagueofNationshadprecededtheUN,failingpartiallyduetotheUSrefusingmembership,
despitePresidentWilsonsspiritedefforts.FranklinRooseveltwasdeterminedtonotletthis
happenagain,soheandhiswifeEleanorRooseveltworkedhardduringthelastfewyearsofhis

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lifeontheideaoftheUN.Hishardworkinurgingtheformationofthisgrouphasresultedin
192members,significantlymorethanitsoriginal51(HistoryoftheUnitedNations).Their
jobistoprotecthumanrightsandadvancesocialdevelopmentthroughgenderequality,
expandingfoodproduction,andpromotingantiterrorism(HistoryoftheUnitedNations).
TheseglobaldevelopmentswereproductsofFDRsvisionforpeaceandunityinthisseemingly
disunifiedworld.
FranklinD.RooseveltbelievedinaninternationalpeaceafterWorldWarII.Henever
livedtoseehisdream,butthroughthefoundationoftheUnitedNations,hewasabletomakea
lastingimpactontheworld.PearlHarbor,theneedforalliesinthewar,andtheUnitedNations
allhelpedtobeginworldpeaceandcomraderyamongthenationsdesiredinFDRsfourthand
finalinauguraladdress.

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