The United Nations Est 1945

The United Nations  Est. at the end of WWII  Initial goal of the UN was to secure peace and stop future wars.  Colors associated with UN = light blue and white. (UN troops wear this color – helmets, arm bands)

United Nations  The forerunner to the UN was the League of Nations.  League of Nations formed after WWI (1918)  The problem w/ the League of Nations =  they were set upon principals of revenge -- not preventive help.  Too slow w/ decisions  USA did NOT join  Did NOT enforce what they said they would...ie GERMANY  WWI –  Austria-Hungry, Germany, Ottoman Empire.  VS  Serbia, Russia, Britain, France, USA, Japan  The war, in essence, was over GERMANY wanting to sit at the big boy table  And countries wanting more LAND….= ….POWER

League of Nations  Why did the US not join the League of Nations?  Background:  Woodrow Wilson – President of USA – proposed League of Nations  President Wilson had 14 points to stop all wars.  Europe mocked him  “God needed 10, you need 4 more than God.”  Europe only accepted 1 point, the league of nations.

United Nations  51 original countries/ members (met in San Francisco & agreed to UN)  193 current members  Main Headquarters – New York  Land donated by John D Rockefeller JR. …$8 million donation in 1946  6 official languages of UN  Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Main Organs…like branches of government  1. General Assembly – MAIN policymaking and representative group of UN.  Every Spetember FULL UN meets in G.A. Hall (193 countries).  New member admission, peace, security, other debate questions need 2/3 majority vote in G.A.

Main Organs…like branches of government  2. Security Council  PRIMARY responsibility for maintenance of INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY.  15 members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members)  Each member has one vote.  Can impose sanctions (grounded) or even authorize force to maintain and restore international peace and security.

Security Council  5 Permanent Members  China  France  Russia  England  United States  If any of the 5 veto, it veto’s the bill even if its  ….these were all ALLIES in WWII.  10 NON permanent members (are elected by the G.A. for 2 year terms.)  Angola  Chad  Chile  Jordan  Spain  New Zealand  Lithuanaia  Malaysia  Nigeria  Venezuela

Hutu vs Tutsi  In a nutshell…  800,000 to 1 million Tutsi killed by Hutu in 1994.

 The problem:  Land = power  Rwanda was controlled by Germany and then Belgium.  Both Germany and Belgium FAVORED the Tutsi. The loved the Tutsi, the treated the Tutsi great, placed the Tutsi in positions of power and influence.