Despite not being one of the wartime United Nations allies, Denmark managed to secure a late invitation to the UN Charter conference in 1945 and subsequently became a founding member of the United Nations. The end of World War II brought significant changes to Denmark's foreign policy, influenced by the Soviet occupation of the Danish island of Bornholm and the growing tensions that would soon evolve into the Cold War. These events, combined with the hard-learned lessons from World War II, led Denmark to abandon its long-standing policy of neutrality. In 1949, Denmark became one of the founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), marking a decisive shift towards collective security and defense within the Western alliance.