International Anti-Fascist Alliance

The organization of the World’s Anti-fascist United Front which was formed during the World War II.

The aggression and invasions by the Axis Alliance countries consisting of Germany, Italy and Japan promoted the establishment of the World’s Anti-fascist Alliance. In November 1939, the US Congress amended the Chinese legislation to cancel the decision to prohibit the sale of weapons to belligerents and allow foreign countries to purchase US weapons on the condition of cash payment and self-transportation. After the surrender of France, President Roosevelt of the United States made a speech in December 1940, saying that he would further support Britain. In March 1941, the Congress of the United States passed the Lend-Lease Act, authorizing the president to supply military products to countries “vital to US national defense” by means of sale, transfer, exchange or lease. In this way, although the United States did not participate in the war, it actually formed an alliance with Britain.

In June 1941, after Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States announced their support for the Soviet Union. In July, the Soviet Union and Britain signed an agreement on joint action in the war against Germany. Then, similar agreements were signed with the governments of Czechoslovakia and Poland in exile. On August 14, 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill held talks on a warship in Newfoundland, the Atlantic Ocean, and issued a declaration on the purpose of war against Germany and post-war peace, namely “The Atlantic Charter”. The Declaration stated that the two countries do not seek the territory of other countries, respect the right of peoples to elect their own forms of government, restore the sovereignty of the people of all countries deprived by violence, and realize post-war cooperation on the basis of equality. In September, the Soviet Union issued a statement supporting the spirit of the UN Charter.

On New Year’s Day of 1942, 26 countries, including China, the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union, met in Washington and signed the “United Nations Declaration”, marking the final formation of the International Anti-fascist United Front. The establishment of the International Anti-fascist Alliance changed the course of the World War II and was one of the decisive factors for the final victory of the World’s Anti-fascist War.

Since different countries had different social systems and different purposes in the International Anti-fascist Alliance, the Anglo-American group within this international alliance aimed to defeat Germany, Italy and Japan while it seriously aimed to weaken the people’s revolutionary forces concentrated in the Soviet Union and other countries, therefore, there were contradictions and struggles within the Anti-fascist Alliance. However, the Alliance has greatly strengthened the strength of the Anti-fascist countries, changed the comparison of powers between the two fronts, encouraged the people of the world to fight against fascism, laid a solid foundation for the final defeat of fascism, and became the fundamental guarantee for the victory of the World’s Anti-fascist War, and laid a foundation for the establishment of the United Nations.