Which document is considered a precursor to the United Nations?

The Atlantic Charter is considered a precursor to the United Nations because it was an early declaration of common principles that aimed to outline the vision for a post-World War II world. Created in August 1941 by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Atlantic Charter established ideals such as self-determination, economic cooperation, and a collective security agreement among nations—concepts that would later influence the formation of the United Nations in 1945.

The document addressed the need for international collaboration to maintain peace and security, laying the groundwork for a new global order after the war. Many of its principles were integral to the establishment of the UN framework, particularly its emphasis on human rights, economic cooperation, and freedom from aggression.

Other options, while significant in their own right—such as the Potsdam Declaration, which called for the surrender of Japan, the Truman Doctrine, which aimed at containing communism, and the Marshall Plan, which was designed to aid European recovery—do not share the same foundational vision for international cooperation and security as the Atlantic Charter.