Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman used the presidency from 1945 to 1953 to shape atomic diplomacy, containment, and civil rights at the start of Cold War America.
Born May 8, 1884 / Died December 26, 1972
On May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri, Harry S. Truman was born into a farming family that later settled in Independence. He lacked a college education, but service in the Missouri National Guard, business experience, and local politics built his path into public life. His rise through Jackson County government and the Senate made him a trusted Democratic operator before the vice presidency.
Truman became president in April 1945 after Franklin Roosevelt's death and immediately confronted the end of World War II, the atomic bomb, and the opening of Cold War rivalry. He announced the Truman Doctrine in 1947, backed the Marshall Plan, ordered the Berlin Airlift, desegregated the armed forces in 1948, and committed American forces to Korea in 1950. Those decisions made containment and executive military leadership defining features of the postwar state.
Truman's presidency set lasting precedents for Cold War foreign policy and for federal civil rights action. NATO, the modern national security apparatus, and later debates over undeclared war powers all remained closely linked to choices made during his administration.
Key Contributions
- As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year.
- Subsequently, Truman implemented the Marshall Plan in the aftermath of World War II to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, and established both the Truman Doctrine and NATO to contain the expansion of Soviet communism.
- A member of the Democratic Party, he proposed numerous New Deal coalition liberal domestic reforms, but few were enacted by the conservative coalition that dominated the United States Congress.
Related Events
Truman Doctrine announced
On March 12, 1947, Harry S. Truman asked Congress for aid to Greece and Turkey, announcing a containment policy that became the Truman Doctrine.
Related People
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower used Allied command in World War II and the presidency from 1953 to 1961 to shape Cold War strategy...
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt used the New Deal and wartime presidency from 1933 to 1945 to transform federal power, social welf...
George C. Marshall
George C. Marshall used Army leadership in World War II and the 1947 Marshall Plan to shape military victory, postwar re...
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseballs color line in 1947, making sports integration a defining front in the racia...