August 12, 1941 marks the anniversary of the creation of the Atlantic Charter by President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Meeting in secret at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, the two leaders spent time assessing the current situation and how they envisioned a postwar world to look.
The Soviet Union, under intense pressure from the German armies that now threatened Leningrad and the capital of Moscow, needed help from the West. Joseph Stalin had asked for aid, primarily in the form of a second front being opened on the European continent to relieve pressure. But Britain, still standing alone and heavily involved in North Africa, could do nothing in terms of a landing in France. Still, the U.S. promised to offer Lend-Lease supplies to the Russians, who would eventually become America’s biggest client.
But the biggest impacts of the Charter were “down-the-road” considerations, as both countries were looking ahead to a postwar world. The groundwork for the United Nations was laid in Newfoundland, as well as the goals of the Allied Powers (despite the current “neutrality” of the U.S.). Chief among them commitment to forego all territorial gains made in the war, unless the wishes of the people in those territories were otherwise. In addition, all people had the right of self-determination, and there was to be economic cooperation and improvements in social welfare.
The goals of the U.S. and Britain were certainly at odds with those the Soviet leader, whose picture of Eastern Europe and Soviet influence looked radically different. But still, it was August of 1941, the War was relatively young, a Soviet collapse was looking more inevitable every day, and there was hope that, when (or if) things did turn around in Russia, Stalin would be more amenable to the terms of the Charter. History would prove he was not.
Recommended Reading: War Summits: The Meetings that Shaped World War II and the Postwar World
Hello,
I’m actually from Placentia, and I can inform you that Placentia Bay is NEVER called “Argentia Bay.”
I think I know the source of the confusion. Placentia Bay is a large geographic feature, more than 110 km long and 80 km wide.
Placentia is a town, midway up the bay on the eastern shore.
Argentia lies within the boundaries of the town of Placentia, but prior to 1994 it was an American Naval base.
The Atlantic Charter was signed just north of Placentia, in Argentia Harbour, which is in Placentia Bay.
During World War II and into the early 1970’s, Argentia was a major base; some sources say, at times, it was the largest American base outside of the United States. It’s as close to Europe as you can get and still be in North America, which was a valuable thing in an era when crossing the Atlantic was still a big deal.
Hello Guys
Regarding location of Atlantic Charter
Visit our website,www.atlanticcharter.ca
Phonse Griffiths
Atlantic Charter Foundation.
Michael,
Thanks for reading!! I re-checked one of my sources (the book War Summits) and you are precisely correct.
On page 36 of the paperback text, Placentia Bay is footnoted. The footnote in the back reads, “Placentia Bay appears as ‘Argentia Bay’ in some U.S. accounts of this meeting.” I misinterpreted that to mean the names were interchangeable, not that “Argentia” was incorrect. I need to learn Newfoundland’s geography a little better. 🙂
I appreciate the clarification and I stand corrected…I have removed the reference to Argentia Bay from my text.
Regards,
Joel
Joel,
One little historical detail has been left out. No one ever signed the “Atlantic Charter”, not anywhere at any time, not on August 12, 1941 nor on August 14, 1941. The text of what about a week later would be termed “The Atlantic Charter” was in the form of a mimeographed press release that was titled “Joint Statement”. It contained no signatures.
No signed, legal document entitled “The Atlantic Charter” has ever existed.
Discussing “where” it was signed is the equivalent of debating the color of Lady Godiva’s dress when she took her famous ride.
Frank
There is no signed document and it wasn’t drawn up in Argentia Harbour. It was drawn up in Ship Harbour, slightly north of Argentia.
Part of a transcript of FDR’s journey to the Atlantic Conference:
8-5-41 – Midnight to 5:30 A.M. the USS Potomac remained at anchor in Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Mass.
At 5:30 A.11. the Potomac got underway and went alongside, the USS Augusta where at 6:17 A.M. the President left the Potomac and embarked on the Augusta. At 6:40 a….m. the Augusta got underway and at midnight was steaming for Ship Harbor, Newfoundland convoyed by the following US ships – Tuscaloosa, Madison, Moffett, Sampson, Winslow and McDougal.
8-6-41 – Midnight to Midnight the USS Augusta., with the President aboard, was steaming for Ship Harbor, Newfoundland.
8-7-41 – Midnight to 9:24 A.M., the USS Augusta, with the President aboard, was steaming to Ship Harbor, Newfoundland.
At 9:24 am. she dropped anchor there. At 1:35 P.M. the President left the USS Augusta in a motor whaleboat and fished in Ship Harbor, Newfoundland until 5:00 P.M at which time he again boarded the USS Augusta, which was still at anchor at midnight.
8-8-41 – From midnight to midnight the President stayed aboard the USS Augusta, which remained at anchor in Ship Harbor, Newfoundland during this time.
8-9-41 – From midnight to midnight the President remained on board the USS Augusta which was at anchor in Ship Harbor, Newfoundland.
8-10-41 – From midnight to 10:30 A.M. the President remained aboard the USS Augusta in Ship Harbor, Newfoundland.
At 10:30 AM the President transferred to the USS Mayrant and at 11:00 AM boarded the HMS Prince of Wales, where he attended Divine Services on board, received the Officers of the Ship and attended a luncheon in his honor given by the Honorable Winston Churchill Prime Minister of Great Britain.
At 5:35 P.M. the President returned to the USS Augusta and remained aboard until midnight.
8-11-41 – From midnight to midnight the President remained aboard the USS Augusta which was at anchor in Ship Harbor, Newfoundland.
8-12-41 – Midnight to 5:10 P.M. the USS Augusta with the President aboard remained at anchor in Ship Harbor, Newfoundland.
At 5:10 P.M.the USS Augusta got underway and was enroute to Blue Hill Bay, Placentice Island, Maine at midnight.
————
If you had done enough research on this subject you would have found this and the fact that a commemorative plaque was erected on Ship Harbour Point in 1976. Ship Harbour is the site of the Atlantic Charter National Historic Monument.
Thanks for reading!
There is no reference to Argentia Harbour. The original piece (put together two years ago) did contain a mistaken reference to Argentia Bay, but that was a misunderstanding on my part…explained in an earlier comment and subsequently removed.
And there is no reference to a signed document, either…nor any reference to any document at all. Again, I had an erroneous mention of a “document” in the original, but another reader pointed that out as well.
I appreciate the comments, but you might be looking at a copy of the original on a cached server or something(?)…I’m reaching here.
Anyways, I’m not an historian, and while I try to be as accurate as I can, mistakes are inevitable, occasionally glaring ones at that. I always take correction to heart, because that’s how one learns.
The Atlantic Charter was not one of my shining moments. Hopefully some of the other stuff I’ve done fares better than this one.
Regards,
Joel