What challenges were faced by Trygve Lie and what success did he have?

Answer 1

Lie, the United Nations' first Secretary General, faced many challenges in his life.

In his career, he quickly climbed the political ladder in his native Norway. Eventually, his country was invaded in 1940 by Hitler's forces. He ordered all Norwegian ships to set sail for Allied ports, was named Foreign Minister of the Norwegian government-in-exile and remained as such until 1946.

During this period, he led the Norwegian delegation to the San Francisco Conference, drafting the UN Charter, and was a leader in drafting the UNSC provisions. He missed out on being elected President of the first General Assembly by a small margin, but was elected Secretary General on the 1st of February 1946.

He supported the foundation of Israel and Indonesia, supported a withdrawal of Soviet forces from Iran, worked for a ceasfire in Kashmir, and defended South Korea from Soviet invasion vociferously, attracting the wrath of the USSR.

He has been blamed for the USSR boycotting UNSC meetings, but this is perhaps unfair. He worked to return them to the fold.

He has been criticised for failing to facilitate negotiation over the Berlin Blockade, and did not end the Korean War quickly enough.

By 1950, Lie was despised by the USSR. Whilst the General Assembly voted for him to be returned to office for a second term, the USSR refused to consider him a candidate, while the US refused to consider any other. He resigned on the 10th of November, 1952.