Truman, Harry (1884–1972)

HARRY TRUMAN became the 33rd president of the United States on April 12, 1945, after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). Truman immediately encountered many monumental issues, especially with foreign policy. This was at first a daunting task for Truman, [Page 457]for as vice president, he was unaware of most of the important issues of FDR's presidency. He had no knowledge about the progress of the atomic bomb, nor was he fully appraised of the increasingly strained U.S. relationship with the Soviet Union. Roosevelt had largely ignored Truman, and the fact that Truman was able to step into the presidency and help guide America through one of its most momentous times is a credit to the strong will of his character. While historians remain largely divided over Truman's ability as a diplomat, he has become a mythological political figure of both the left and right who both credit him as being an everyday man who rose to meet the arduous demands of presidency.

The decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan was Truman's first major decision as president. He was only made aware of America's secret operation to build an atomic bomb after he became president. The war in Europe ended in May 1945, but America was still engaged in fighting the Japanese. Truman learned that a successful test had occurred on July 16, 1945, and realizing that the weapon could bring a quick end to the war and save American lives, he decided to drop the bombs on Japan. On the August 6, 1945, barely four months into the Truman presidency, the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Two days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan subsequently surrendered on August 14, signaling the end of World War II. The bombs were dropped primarily on civilians, and over 140,000 Japanese died immediately from both bombs. Some arguments contend that Truman decided to drop the bombs to show the Soviet Union, which Truman had begun to take a hard line against, the superior military power of the United States. However, admirers of Truman argue that the bombs saved countless lives of American soldiers and brought a decisive close to the most violent war in history.

The most significant issue that Truman faced was the growing Cold War tension with the Soviet Union. Following World War II, with the United States and Soviet Union as the world's lone super powers, problems arose over how to establish a global order. These differences were due to political and economic ideologies; the Soviets were a communist nation, while the United States was a democracy with a capitalist system. First and foremost, Truman wanted to ensure that communism did not spread worldwide, and he identified this as the greatest risk to American security. Truman thus took a hard line approach to the Soviets. In doing so, he played a major role in helping to rebuild Europe after the war. The Truman Doctrine provided military aid to countries opposing possible communist revolts, while the Marshall Plan gave economic aid to the wartorn countries of Europe in hopes of rebuilding them into strong U.S. allies. The aid that Truman gave to such countries was the key reason why Europe was able to rebuild following the war.

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