Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 21 August 1944
- Dumbarton Oaks is located within the Washington, the capital of the United States (not far from the White House). This was the residence of Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss, and allegedly had more than 7000 square meters (more than the White House and even the famous Hearst Castle in California).
This day in 1944 marked the beginning of the conference in Dumbarton Oaks, famous for the establishment of the United Nations.
This conference took place during World War II, when the Allied troops had already liberated Paris from the Germans. Representatives of the United States, USSR, the UK, and China attended the conference.
At the opening of the conference, Cordell Hull, the former U.S. Secretary of State, held a speech. The Soviet delegation was led by Andrei Gromyko, who was the USSR’s ambassador in the United States. This Soviet diplomat was known as Mr. No (Mr. Nyet).
Interestingly, the conference was held in one of the largest private castles in the United States (at the time). Dumbarton Oaks is located within Washington D.C., the capital of the United States (not far from the White House).
This was the residence of Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss, and allegedly had more than 7,000 square meters (more than the White House and even the famous Hearst Castle in California).
One goal was to establish an international organization, more effective than the former League of Nations. During the conference, they discussed the organization of the UN’s Security Council, its potential permanent members, and their right to veto (since that, these have been some of the most important issues of the UN).
Interestingly, the Soviets demanded that all 16 republics of the USSR become individual members of the UN’s General Assembly.
