The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy: The Truman Years
The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy
“The Truman Years”
5-9-2013
The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy “The Truman Years”
Summarize a situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during the President’s time in office. Vice President Harry S. Truman took office on April 12, 1945, after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman was unknown to most when he was selected as vice president for Roosevelt’s forth term. As our nation’s 33rd President, Truman was faced with numerous foreign issues right out of the starting gate and had a slight international policy handicap, but made up for it with his personal integrity and ambition for world order, capitalism preservation, and peace. Post World War II (WWII), Truman sought to deter the spread of the communist doctrine of world communism domination via a containment policy. His overall approval rating by the American public during his time in office was around 45% ("Presidential approval ratings”, n.d.), but hindsight is 20/20 and some say that rating would be much higher now (McCullough, 1992). At the time of the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, Truman became increasingly suspicious of Soviet intentions under Stalin. Truman saw Soviet actions in Eastern Europe at the time as aggressive expansionism, contrary to the agreements Stalin had committed to at the Yalta Conference the previous February. Truman inherited the Pacific war (part of a greater World War II) with Japan that had been going on since before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Near the end of the Potsdam Conference, Truman Gave Japan one last chance to surrender, and when they did not, the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Aug 6th and 9th respectively). Japan surrendered Singapore to the British only on 15 August 1945. Japan officially surrendered to the U.S. on September 2 1945. Another product of WWII was the split of Korea into North and South, where the North was
“The Truman Years”
5-9-2013
The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy “The Truman Years”
Summarize a situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during the President’s time in office. Vice President Harry S. Truman took office on April 12, 1945, after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman was unknown to most when he was selected as vice president for Roosevelt’s forth term. As our nation’s 33rd President, Truman was faced with numerous foreign issues right out of the starting gate and had a slight international policy handicap, but made up for it with his personal integrity and ambition for world order, capitalism preservation, and peace. Post World War II (WWII), Truman sought to deter the spread of the communist doctrine of world communism domination via a containment policy. His overall approval rating by the American public during his time in office was around 45% ("Presidential approval ratings”, n.d.), but hindsight is 20/20 and some say that rating would be much higher now (McCullough, 1992). At the time of the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, Truman became increasingly suspicious of Soviet intentions under Stalin. Truman saw Soviet actions in Eastern Europe at the time as aggressive expansionism, contrary to the agreements Stalin had committed to at the Yalta Conference the previous February. Truman inherited the Pacific war (part of a greater World War II) with Japan that had been going on since before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Near the end of the Potsdam Conference, Truman Gave Japan one last chance to surrender, and when they did not, the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Aug 6th and 9th respectively). Japan surrendered Singapore to the British only on 15 August 1945. Japan officially surrendered to the U.S. on September 2 1945. Another product of WWII was the split of Korea into North and South, where the North was