Bidspirit auction | The Atlantic Charter – Large

The Atlantic Charter – Large Official Poster – United States Government Printing Office – 1943 - The Atlantic Charter – historic official poster (OWI Poster No. 50) presenting the text of the provisions of the “Atlantic Charter, ” signed on August 14, 1941, by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. This historic declaration served as an ideological and political foundation that ultimately contributed, at the end of the war, to the establishment of the United Nations (UN). Officially distributed by the United States Government Printing Office in 1943 for the Office of War Information (OWI). A large poster presenting the Charter, signed by President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during their secret meeting in the Atlantic, aboard the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, setting forth the shared vision and principles of the Allies for the world following the destruction of Nazi tyranny. In August 1941, several months before the United States entered World War II, Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly aboard warships in Placentia Bay, near Newfoundland, between August 9 and 12. Britain was already deeply engaged in the war against Nazi Germany, while at that time the United States was still officially neutral, although it was already supporting Britain through the Lend-Lease program. The document agreed upon by the United States and Britain comprises eight fundamental principles concerning territorial aggrandizement, the right of peoples to self-determination, international economic cooperation, freedom of the seas, and the disarmament of aggressor nations. The declaration sets forth the various provisions, including the agreement that the two nations declare that they are not fighting for territorial aggrandizement or expansion, and that no territorial changes shall take place contrary to the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned. The Charter emphasizes the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live, while calling for the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those who have been forcibly deprived of them, together with equal access for all states – great or small, victor or vanquished – to world trade and raw materials. The two nations further agreed to strive for worldwide economic cooperation in order to secure improved labor standards, economic advancement, and social security for all. Following the destruction of Nazi tyranny, the objective was to establish a peace that would enable all nations to live in safety within their own boundaries, and all people to live their lives free from fear and want, while ensuring unrestricted freedom of navigation upon the seas and oceans for all nations. The document concludes with a call for the abandonment of the use of force in international affairs, the compulsory disarmament of aggressor nations, and the reduction of the global burden of armaments in the interest of lasting peace. At the bottom appear the precise administrative and printing details: the poster’s catalog number issued by the Office of War Information (OWI Poster No. 50), alongside the official government printing imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943-O-517133. The poster was distributed as part of the United States government’s wartime propaganda, public-information, and morale-building campaign, explaining to the American public the moral and strategic objectives of the Allied war effort. 71×52 cm. Fold marks. Good condition.