The
Allies of World War II, formally known as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed to oppose the
Axis powers. Its principal members were the "
Big Four": the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Republic of China. The Allies became a formalized group upon the
Declaration by United Nations on 1 January 1942, which was signed by 26 countries around the world; these ranged from
governments in exile from Axis occupation to small states far removed from the war. This became the groundwork for the present-day
United Nations, established in the
aftermath of World War II. This 1943 propaganda poster, designed by Leslie Ragan and distributed by the
United States Office of War Information, depicts the flags of many of the members of the Allies waving amidst smoke, with tanks, battleships and aircraft in the foreground. In white
all-caps letters, the poster bears the word "United" at the top of the poster, and the caption "The United Nations Fight for Freedom" at the bottom.
Poster credit: Leslie Ragan; restored by Bammesk
