As president, both Harry S. Truman (Democrat) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) made it a top priority to contain the spread of communism. Both served for two terms in office. President Truman served as Vice-President for Roosevelt a mere eighty-two days when Roosevelt died making him the 33rd president. Truman demonstrated an aggressive and expensive methodology of dealing with Stalin and the Soviet Union. Eisenhower, conversely, concentrated his foreign policy more on promoting superior United States nuclear weapon technologies to deter Soviet expansion and the spread of communism. While Truman had to rely on appealing to the fear of Americans and Congress to gain approval for his costly policies, Eisenhower’s policies were relatively inexpensive and therefore he had no problems in gaining approval.
Truman, also known as “Give ‘em Hell Harry”, took the oath of office April 12, 1945 at the age of sixty. In the same year, he employed the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This subject continues to be discussed as many disapprove of the president’s decision as it resulted in heavy civilian casualties. Those who approve of the bombings commend the president for his decision and the fact that it brought about the unconditional surrender of Japan and saved countless American lives. Important legislature signed by Truman includes the United Nations Charter in 1945, the “Truman Doctrine “Appropriation in 1947, the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, and the Mutual Security Act of 1951. Truman also ordered United States ground forces to the aid of South Korea in 1950 when they were invaded by the communist North Korean army. The United States Air Force and Navy were also issued orders of attack. This officially entered t...
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In comparing the two presidents, I find myself asking “Which was the best president?” I believe that both had important accomplishments during their terms in office. I think that in this situation, it is difficult to establish one as being better. They both had similar issues to contend with but they also had rather different issues. Truman, who was thrust into the presidency after Roosevelt’s death, did an exceptional job. He was not only faced with the post-war, post Great Depression economic recession, but also faced the issues of the Cold War. Eisenhower also had the problem of the Cold War but by his presidency, the economy was improving and continued to improve greatly through his economic policies. Often times I believe that the success of the country during one administration is put into motion by the prior administration’s policies
For decades, Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States of America, will always be remembered as the man who took the decision to launch the atomic bomb in two cities of Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The president takes measure, which was a very important decision and any President would ever have to make. Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, is known for the decision to drop the bomb in Japan in August 1945.
But if there is one thing to say about both men, that they equally accomplished even though both did it different ways and by different means, is that they worked with Congress flawlessly. Both had the undivided support of their Congress in their actions. Whether it be leading Conservatives supporting Reagan and his foreign policy or Roosevelt when it came down to making changes in policies to better the public, they had the full support of those behind them. Both men seemed to be extremely charismatic when it came to this. It was almost as if that instead of choosing their Cabinets, they had managed to pick their Congress.
The Cold War began and Truman worked to contain communism. The Soviets had put a containment around Berlin and therefore the American’s could not get in supplies to the democratic people there. Truman then got the daring idea to do an airlift to get supplies to the people there and it was highly successful. This was a brave action because of a few reasons. The nation was scared of another world war with the Soviet Union and Truman had the lowest approval ratings he had ever had. This action had a chance of causing retaliation from the Soviet Union and was therefore highly risky. He also had reelection coming up which required the public’s approval and this action could risk getting that approval. While this showed bravery for the previously stated reasons it also showed his compassion for people. He made sure these people were taken care of with very few excuses. This event also led to an expansion in the defense department in the United States. This growth of the defense department continued for several years and continued to provide some protection throughout the Cold War. While it can be difficult to see exactly how this effected the rest of the Cold War but it can be argued that it definitely helped the side of democracy in the world. Both bravery and compassion are great traits for a successful President, so it is no surprise that he was so
Eisenhower’s foreign policy was about containment and trying to discourage other countries from joining it by giving them financial and military aid. When he realized that containment itself was not enough to stop the Soviet expansion, he adopted a policy which he called massive retaliation whereby the U.S. was prepared to use atomic weapons if they were to be attacked. He tried diplomacy to develop relation with the Soviets even agreeing to join other leaders in Geneva Switzerland with the intention to calm the temperatures between the two nations. When diplomacy didn’t work, he signed a bill that allowed countries to request economic and military help from the U.S. if they are being attacked by a communist nation. Cold War did not end until after Ronald Reagan’s time as president when he challenged the leader of the Soviet to take down the Berlin wall which was the most recognizable symbol of the Cold War. At this time, the Soviet Union was disintegrating and its influence in Eastern Europe was waning fast bringing the war to an
In Prompt and Utter Destruction, J. Samuel Walker provides the reader with an elaborate analysis of President Truman’s decision behind using the atomic bomb in Japan. He provokes the reader to answer the question for himself about whether the use of the bomb was necessary to end the war quickly and without the loss of many American lives. Walker offers historical and political evidence for and against the use of the weapon, making the reader think critically about the issue. He puts the average American into the shoes of the Commander and Chief of the United States of America and forces us to think about the difficulty of Truman’s decision.
During the cold war, the United States engaged in many aggressive policies both at home and abroad, in which to fight communism and the spread of communist ideas. Faced with a new challenge and new global responsibilities the U.S. needed to retain what it had fought so strongly for in World War II. It needed to contain the communist ideas pouring from the Soviet Union while preventing communist influence at home, without triggering World War III. With the policies of containment, McCarthyism, and brinkmanship, the United States hoped to effectively stop the spread of communism and their newest threat, the Soviet Union.
Kuznick, Peter J. "The Decision to Risk the Future: Harry Truman, the Atomic Bomb and the Apocalyptic Narrative.” JapanFocus. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare against the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later on August 9th, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Just six days after the second atomic explosion, Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the United States after almost four years of war. Philosophers have argued that President Truman took a utilitarian point of morals when deciding to use nuclear weapons: do what is best for the largest number of people. Others say he blatantly ignored Kant’s teachings regarding the morality of attacking non-combatants. Regardless, President Truman was faced with one of the most morally difficult decisions any
Truman’s accomplishments in his domestic policy were impressive, considering the hardships the nation was experiencing as World War II came to an end, and the resistance of Congress (which was greatly made up of Republicans and conservatives) to liberalism. The president was able to pas...
Both JFK and FDR were amazing people, who did great service for their country. Both aiming for freedom and security they went for what they wanted with the citizens agreement. Although Kennedy was able to make his speech heard for all of the world Roosevelt was speaking to the American citizens. Both did great for the freedom and rights of America and the rest of the
Both Truman’s and Eisenhower’s governments were engaged in the Cold War, and contributed to increased tensions with Russia. Truman was the initiator of the containment policy, which was implemented throughout the duration of the Cold War. This policy was put into effect in order to prevent the spread of communism.
“Truman, Harry S.” The Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia: Columbia, 1994. Online. Internet. Available at HTTP: http://www.historychannel.com/. 24 Sept. 2001.
Upon reading “Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan” by J. Samuel Walker, a reader will have a clear understanding of both sides of the controversy surrounding Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The controversy remains of whether or not atomic bombs should have been used during the war. After studying this text, it is clear that the first atomic bomb, which was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, was a necessary military tactic on ending the war. The second bomb, which was dropped on Nagasaki, however, was an unnecessary measure in ensuring a surrender from the Japanese, and was only used to seek revenge.
When WWII ended, Americans were left in the hands of Harry Truman. Known as an aggressive Cold War fighter, he led Americans against...
By examining the climate of the world at the time of war, and given all other alternatives, the United States had no choice but to drop the bomb. If we had not, many thousands more American lives would have been lost, most likely on the shores of Japan during the inevitable land invasion. Once on Japanese soil our boys would have had to face off with arguably the most dedicated and fiercest warriors the world has known, willing to sacrifice their lives and those of their families for their emperor and country. While there are still many who would argue the cruelty of nuclear weapons, it is apparent that Harry S. Truman was acting in the best interest of America and the world when he authorized the use of the most devastating weapon mankind has ever created.