Free World

The "Free World" is a term that was used during the Second World War and the Cold War. It talked about the Allies, the Western Bloc, and countries that were friendly to them.

In the Second World War, this term was used to describe the fight against fascist states. Later, during the Cold War, it meant all liberal democracies together, instead of communist states.

Usually, the term was linked to countries that worked closely with the United States, the European Union, and NATO. Sometimes, people called the leader of these countries the "leader of the free world," to show respect and to mean that this person had an important role, especially the president of the United States.

History of the concept

The term "Free World" began in the United States in May 1940, after Germany attacked Belgium, the Netherlands, and France during World War II. It described all democracies fighting against authoritarian states like Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. In June 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the term when asking Congress to support military aid. After the United States joined the war, he used the term mainly for the United Nations against Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Later, during the Cold War, the "Free World" included many democratic countries, such as the United States and Western European nations, along with some allies that opposed communism. In 1950, a U.S. Representative, Daniel J. Flood, noted how useful the term was. Even after the Cold War ended, the idea of a "Free World" was sometimes used during the Global War on Terrorism. Some writers, like Samuel P. Huntington, said the term was replaced by the idea of the international community.

Leadership of the Free World

United States

The phrase "Leader of the Free World" was often used during the Cold War to describe the United States or its president. It meant that the United States was the main democratic superpower and that the president led all democratic countries.

The term started in the 1940s during the Second World War. It was used in films and materials against fascism. Over time, its meaning changed, especially in the 1950s when the United States opposed communist countries. The term was used less after the mid-1970s but appeared again in talks about U.S. foreign policy until the Soviet Union ended in 1991. Recently, the phrase has been used to discuss the United States and its presidents.

European Union

In 2010, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said that Brussels could be called the "capital of the free world." He said that Brussels is an important city with a long history. It is the capital of Belgium and home to many European Union institutions and the NATO alliance.

Germany

In 2015, Time magazine named German Chancellor Angela Merkel as their "Person of the Year" and called her "Europe's most powerful leader" and "Chancellor of the Free World." After Donald Trump became U.S. president in 2016, some people called Merkel the "Liberal West's Last Defender" and even "the next leader of the free world." However, Merkel did not accept this title. Some German politicians agreed, saying a German chancellor could never be the leader of the free world.

After Merkel retired, some still remembered her as a steady and brave leader during hard times.