Truman Administration

Truman Administration

Harry S. Truman's political career began when he was elected Senator of his home state of Missouri. After a decade of being a Senator, he ran with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as his Vice President on January 20, 1945. At the time, Truman was a long-time member of the Democrat Party and was seen as more liberal than other candidates for Vice President.

Fig. 1 - Portrait photograph of Harry S Truman

President Roosevelt died just a few months into his third term as President. Truman, being his Vice President at the time for only 82 days, was quickly sworn in and took over all presidential duties. Roosevelt had been the nation's president for about twelve years, and there was much Truman had to catch up on.

The Truman Administration became known for its decisive measures during the mid-20^th century, both in domestic policies and foreign policies. The Second World War had ended, but the Cold War was just beginning, and the Korean War and the Vietnam War loomed on the horizon. At home, the country needed guidance through the post-war world and to enact change through the burgeoning Civil Rights movement.

Truman Administration Years

• Truman's first term began on April 12, 1945 and ended in 1949. During this first term, he led the country through the end of World War II and into the post-war period. His Vice President for both terms was the Kentucky Congressman, Alben William Barkley.

• Truman's second term began in 1949 and ended in 1953. In his second term, Truman continued to focus on his anti-communist policies and lead the country through the Korean War.

Truman Administration Timeline

Below is a brief timeline of the key events of the Truman Administration.

Truman Administration: Foreign policy

When Truman took over the presidency, he was briefed on research called the Manhattan Project, which had begun under President Roosevelt. The Manhattan Project had worked to develop an atomic weapon large enough to end the war.

Fig. 2 - A photograph of the atomic bomb detonating over Nagasaki

The first major decision of the Truman administration was a controversial one. On August 6, 1945, Truman ordered an atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing Japan to surrender. Truman represented the US in peace talks with other world leaders following the end of the war.

Truman Administration: Cold War (1947-1991)

Immediately after World War II ended, Truman was faced with the rising tensions between the US and the Soviet Union, known as the Cold War.

The democratic nation of the US was pitted against the communist Soviet Union. Truman's foreign policy can be quickly summed up with the Truman Doctrine. The goal of the Truman Doctrine was to stop the spread and influence of communism within Europe.

The best way to stop the spread of communism, Truman believed, was to enact a containment policy. Truman's containment policies would assist non-communist countries resist the pull of communism by offering various forms of aid.

Truman also subscribed to the Domino Theory, which refers to the idea if one non-communist country fell, it is very likely that the surrounding countries would become communist as well. Truman aimed to limit the spread of communism through:

• The Marshall Plan (April 3, 1948), which promised aid to all countries under the threat of communism.
• The Berlin Airlift (June 24, 1948 - May 12, 1949) which delivered supplies to democratic areas of Berlin blocked by communist forces.
• The US enrollment in The North Atlantic Treaty Association (NATO) on July 21, 1949, which created an alliance with the US and other democratic European nations.

Truman Administration: Korean War (1950-1953)

The involvement of the US in the Korean War followed closely with Truman's anticommunist agenda. The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when communist North Korean forces crossed the agreed upon border into South Korea, which was a democratic nation.

During the Yalta Conference, the Korean peninsula was split at the 38^th parallel: everything north of the parallel would be North Korea and occupied by the communist Soviet Union, and everything south would be South Korea, occupied by the democratic American forces. The Chinese had also come to the aid of the Koreans in October 1950, forcing the US forces to retreat.

Fig. 3 - Map of the Korean peninsula. North and South Korea are separated by the 38th Parallel line1

After the entrance of China into the war, Truman feared that directly attacking China would coerce the Soviet Union into the War. Truman wanted to limit the spread of communism, but he also wanted to contain the war zone, a concept he called limited war.

The leaders of the Korean War reached an agreement to cease fire. On July 26, 1953, an armistice was negotiated.

Truman Administration: Vietnam War (1955-1975)

Another country that Truman worried about falling to communist influence was Vietnam, which was a colony of France at the time. France had occupied the country before World War II, and continued their occupation after the War. However, when the War ended, Vietnam wanted to fight for their independence. Truman was of the opinion that the country would be more stable under French rule, and provided support to France in order to keep the status quo.

Fig. 4 - The US involvement in the Vietnam War caused great controversy in America due to the levels of violence and devastation witnessed during the conflict

Just like his actions in Korea, Truman wanted to keep his foreign policy promise to provide aid to all countries that were under the threat of communist rule. Vietnam was split into the Communist North and Democratic South in 1954. Truman sent aid to South Vietnam, in order to fight off the communist Viet Minh forces, led by Ho Chi Minh, who was backed by the Soviet Union and China.

The Vietnam War would continue into the presidencies of Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, ending on April 30, 1975.

Truman Administration: Domestic Policy

Truman continued many of the Roosevelt policies, such as the New Deal programs. Similar to the Truman foreign policy referred to as the Truman Doctrine, his domestic policy can be referred to as the Fair Deal policies.

After the war, the US needed guidance throughout the post-war world. One of the most impactful programs that Truman passed was the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, known as the GI Bill, for veterans of the army. The GI Bill distributed money to those who had fought in the war in some capacity so that they could go to school or purchase homes.

The Fair Deal

After being inaugurated, Truman proposed various acts that aimed to help the American population after the end of the War in a package called the Fair Deal. The Fair Deal was in many ways an extension of FDR's New Deal reforms, and proposed an increase to the minimum wage, that all Americans have health insurance, and that all Americans be guaranteed equal rights.

An important aspect of the Fair Deal was the passing of the Employment Act of 1946. The Act aimed to help Americans in many areas, including lowering unemployment and helping stamp down inflation that began to rise after the war.

Civil Rights Actions

Truman's most well-known contribution to Civil Rights was desegregating the armed forces and ending discriminatory hiring practices within the government.

In 1946, Truman became one of the first Presidents to propose and pass a Civil Rights Bill and established the Committee on Civil Rights. The Committee aimed to ensure that the Justice Department was able to support civil rights leaders in the fight to end segregation in public schools.

Truman Administration Domestic Anti-Communist Policies

The Truman Administration was incredibly wary of the spread of communism within the country as well. Similar to his fears of the spread of communism within Europe, he wanted to do his best to contain any communist uprisings within the US. His actions, the most famous of which was passing the so-called "Loyalty Order" on March 21, 1947, greatly contributed to the Red Scare of the 1950s.

The Loyalty Review Board, created under the "Loyalty Order", was charged with doing background checks of government employees to ensure they did not have ties to communism. Truman also extended this idea into the Truman Loyalty Program, which proactively aimed to stem the spread of communism within government departments and ensured the loyalty of employees.

Truman Administration Significance

The Truman Administration oversaw multiple international conflicts, including the end of World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the beginning stages of the Vietnam War. His staunchly anti-communist stance set a precedent for many of the following presidents, who continued to deal with the Vietnam War and the Cold War.