HARRY S. TRUMAN 1945-52 - DEMOCRAT
TOPIC THE UNITED STATES IN 1945 AND THE LEGACIES OF THE WORLD WAR:
-USA emerged from WW2 as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world – much owed to the
DEMOCRATIC FDR –helped end the Depression with ‘New Deal’ ( unpresented programme of federal aid to those
in need’) and transformed US’ ideas about presidency and fed gov – glowing rep
LEGACY OF -INCREASED POWER – due to depression and WW2, granted by Congress, opposition from SC
FDR: -June 22, 1944 – GI Bill of Rights – financial aid for veterans for higher education and homebuying – Truman
1945 promised right for “full employment”
-NOVEMBER 1944 ELECTION– Missouri Senator Truman = elected as running mate, ‘compromise candidate’,
hoped to provide unity between the two parties since Democrats = divided between liberal vs. conservative deep
south, little experience in politics – FDR WON
-12 APRIL 1945 – FDR dies, Truman = President – “all the planets had fallen on me”
-ECONOMIC BOOM FOLLOWING WW2 – combo of factories working to produce war material + millions serving in
military = full well-paid employment - most never experienced so much disposable income
-War Production Board revoked many of its controls on industry – gasoline rationing ended
POST-WAR -End of 1940s – USA had 7% of world’s population but 42% of its income and 50% manufactured goods
PROSPERIT -Produced 52% of steel, 62% of oil, and 80% of cars
Y: -Unemployment remained under 4% throughout the decade
1940S -AMERICAN DREAM – popularised by James Truslow Adams with his book ‘Epic of America’ – “dream of being
able to grow to fullest….as man and woman”, prosperity confirmed this
FOR: Physical geography of USA ensured great regional differences – big cities eg. NY = more likely to accept
change, whilst conservatism was strong in South/great farmlands/small towns of Midwest
-Regional tensions remained profound – esp. North vs South, legacy of slavery – social mobility of North had
REGIONAL minimal impact in South, defeat in civil war = hostility
DIVISIONS: AGAINST: War necessitated mobility that helped overcome regionalism: BY 1945
1940S -1/8 had changed their country of residence
-8 million had permanently moved to a different state, half to different region
-THE GREAT MIGRATION: over 6 million Black Americans migrated from the South to N
-SEARS (US dept. store chain) stopped producing catalogues for different regions
FOR: Far from a melting pot in which ethnic differences had fused into a common “American” nat:
-14 million African Americans (10%) = invariably treated as inferior
-Black, Hispanic, and Native American incomes = way below average
- WW2 – ‘Pittsburgh Courier’ (leading Black Newspaper) demanded a “Double V”, victory against fascism in
Europe and racism at home, their situation was not much better – membership in NAACP increased from 50,000-
450,000 during the war
-The army, at a loss for manpower during the Battle of the Bulge in DEC 1944, pressed African Americans into
combat, positive results – HOWEVER, made racial tensions more apparent – GEN. GEORGE MARSHALL = “worst
thing we have to deal with” (military integration)
ETHNIC - Army took in black Americans in separate training camps and refused to train them as officers – SECRETARY OF
DIVISIONS: WAR STIMSON = “leadership is not imbedded in the * race”
1940S AGAINST: Illiteracy down to 11% by 1945 (due to black schools however)
-lives of Black Americans improved on average – rapid mechanisation of cotton production led to roughly 1
million Black Americans moving from the South during the 1940s
-Employment of Black Americans rose from 50,000-1.2 million during WW2
-Gunner Myrdal – 1944 ‘An American Dilemma’ – highlighted the reality of racial injustice – had faith in American
ideals and was optimistic about the future – HOWEVER, underestimated strength of white racial prejudice and
had thought that whites would lead the way to change
WW2 = turning point in nation’s quest for greater ethnic acculturation and racial equality – classes and races
served for same cause
FOR: Huge disparities in wealth across the nation – ranged from billionaire dynasties eg. Rockefellers to
impoverished people of Appalachian Mountains
SOCIAL -Worker-employer tensions peaked in 1946 – 4.6 million workers went on strike and 116 million working days
, HARRY S. TRUMAN 1945-52 - DEMOCRAT
DIVISIONS:
lost – factories made huge profits during war but were not passing this to workers
1940S AGAINST:Wall Street Crash 1929 and Great Depression levelled out many social inequalities – reduced wealth of
middle class and created culture of thrift and hard work
-GI Bill of Rights 1944 – higher ed and house-buying aid for veterans = no. new homeowners inc dramatically
-% of college educated Americans rose by 5%
TOPIC THE USA AS A SUPERPOWER
POTSDAM: 16 JULY-2 AUGUST 1945
-Truman = determined to establish his position as a world leader and stand up to Stalin
TRUMAN’S -Received news of successful atomic bomb test – 24 JULY – told Stalin of a “new weapon of unusual destructive
CHARACTE force” – antagonising USSR
R AND -Stalin ignored concerns about the implementation of Communism in Poland
POLICIES: ATOMIC BOMBS: 6/9 AUGUST 1945
1945 -USA tried to exclude USSR from peace-making– bomb revolutionised world balance of power
-Stalin viewed Truman’s USA as a frightening military, economic and technological giant
SEPTEMBER 1945: Meeting Council of Foreign Ministers – draft peace Ts with defeated enemy, broke down
DEC 1945: US/USSR/BR ministers met in Moscow but German peace treaty prospects = poor due to
disagreements over control over Iran
FEBRUARY 1946: Stalin speech = incompatibility of Communism with Capitalism + inevitability of war
POST-WAR Long Telegram – GEORGE KENNAN (US Diplomat) - Truman receives word that USSR is building up military
PEACE power. Stalin calling for dest of cap- “continue to regard the Soviet Union as a rival” - No peace with USSR
MAKING: MARCH 1946: Iron Curtain – Europe was divided between capitalists (west) and communists (east).
1945-6 Stalin responds by comparing Churchill to Hitler – “not only Soviet influence but a v. high level of control from
Moscow” - Beginning of the ‘war of words’
JUNE 1946: Council of FM = Paris - finalised draft treats with Italy eg. – no agreement over GER, deterioration
GERMANY: Allied Control Council occupied 4 military governors of Gzones – meetings = increasingly bitter = US
troops remain in Europe for foreseeable + WG zones = economically and politically independent
1947: BR + US zones combined = deepening divisions – led to TD
GREECE: Truman administration wrongly believed Stalin was behind Communist opp. to conservative Greek gov –
tensions – could no longer by supported by Britain, USA send 40,000 troops:
THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE: cornerstone of CW policy
-George Kennan = should oppose the Soviets with” unalterable counter-force”
-12 MARCH 1947 - Truman advocated for Kennan’s doctrine in speech to Congress– asked for $400 million to
aid Turkey and Greece, granted – marked int of support to DEM nations
-Ended US tradition of ‘isolationism’ from international affairs; showed the world had to choose between
communist ‘tyranny’ and dem freedom – culmination of anxieties about crises such as Iran, Turkey etc.
RESPONSES: Senator Taft – criticised simplistic division of the world in two
CONTAINM Kennan – too sweeping, failed to ask whether a threatened state was worth or viable supporting
ENT: THE MARSHALL PLAN: SoS G Marshall feared post-war devastation in W.E = vulnerable to communism
1945-8 -JUNE 1947 - $13b to rebuild Europe, weaken appeal of communism, Stalin prevented ‘Sphere of Influence’ from
accepting – demonstrated bipartisan approach to Cold War
-‘THE TRUMAN PLAN’ – Congressional aide suggested name – TRUMAN: “anything with my name on it will
quiver a couple of times and die”
CAUSES:
THE BERLIN -BIZONIA (unif of FR, GB, US, GRM zones – single gov, JUNE 1948 – new currency to aid econc recovery
BLOCKADE -Threat to Stalin, unified W Zone = weak, undermine his control, worried that capitalist ideas would spread
+ AIRLIFT: 22 JUNE: Stalin set up a military blockade = cut western Germany off from Berlin –starvation for 2.2 million.
22 JUNE Truman responded with an airlift which saw planes dropping supplies into west Berlin every day – 1949, 4000
1948 – 12 tonnes each day = prevented blockade from succeeding and allowed Truman to win propaganda war because his
MAY 1949 actions were peaceful but Stalin = aggressive.
Stalin had hoped Winter would inhibit it, but it didn’t = 12 May 1949
NATO: The USA est a military alliance between USA and many WE countries – not just a political and economic division
TOPIC THE UNITED STATES IN 1945 AND THE LEGACIES OF THE WORLD WAR:
-USA emerged from WW2 as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world – much owed to the
DEMOCRATIC FDR –helped end the Depression with ‘New Deal’ ( unpresented programme of federal aid to those
in need’) and transformed US’ ideas about presidency and fed gov – glowing rep
LEGACY OF -INCREASED POWER – due to depression and WW2, granted by Congress, opposition from SC
FDR: -June 22, 1944 – GI Bill of Rights – financial aid for veterans for higher education and homebuying – Truman
1945 promised right for “full employment”
-NOVEMBER 1944 ELECTION– Missouri Senator Truman = elected as running mate, ‘compromise candidate’,
hoped to provide unity between the two parties since Democrats = divided between liberal vs. conservative deep
south, little experience in politics – FDR WON
-12 APRIL 1945 – FDR dies, Truman = President – “all the planets had fallen on me”
-ECONOMIC BOOM FOLLOWING WW2 – combo of factories working to produce war material + millions serving in
military = full well-paid employment - most never experienced so much disposable income
-War Production Board revoked many of its controls on industry – gasoline rationing ended
POST-WAR -End of 1940s – USA had 7% of world’s population but 42% of its income and 50% manufactured goods
PROSPERIT -Produced 52% of steel, 62% of oil, and 80% of cars
Y: -Unemployment remained under 4% throughout the decade
1940S -AMERICAN DREAM – popularised by James Truslow Adams with his book ‘Epic of America’ – “dream of being
able to grow to fullest….as man and woman”, prosperity confirmed this
FOR: Physical geography of USA ensured great regional differences – big cities eg. NY = more likely to accept
change, whilst conservatism was strong in South/great farmlands/small towns of Midwest
-Regional tensions remained profound – esp. North vs South, legacy of slavery – social mobility of North had
REGIONAL minimal impact in South, defeat in civil war = hostility
DIVISIONS: AGAINST: War necessitated mobility that helped overcome regionalism: BY 1945
1940S -1/8 had changed their country of residence
-8 million had permanently moved to a different state, half to different region
-THE GREAT MIGRATION: over 6 million Black Americans migrated from the South to N
-SEARS (US dept. store chain) stopped producing catalogues for different regions
FOR: Far from a melting pot in which ethnic differences had fused into a common “American” nat:
-14 million African Americans (10%) = invariably treated as inferior
-Black, Hispanic, and Native American incomes = way below average
- WW2 – ‘Pittsburgh Courier’ (leading Black Newspaper) demanded a “Double V”, victory against fascism in
Europe and racism at home, their situation was not much better – membership in NAACP increased from 50,000-
450,000 during the war
-The army, at a loss for manpower during the Battle of the Bulge in DEC 1944, pressed African Americans into
combat, positive results – HOWEVER, made racial tensions more apparent – GEN. GEORGE MARSHALL = “worst
thing we have to deal with” (military integration)
ETHNIC - Army took in black Americans in separate training camps and refused to train them as officers – SECRETARY OF
DIVISIONS: WAR STIMSON = “leadership is not imbedded in the * race”
1940S AGAINST: Illiteracy down to 11% by 1945 (due to black schools however)
-lives of Black Americans improved on average – rapid mechanisation of cotton production led to roughly 1
million Black Americans moving from the South during the 1940s
-Employment of Black Americans rose from 50,000-1.2 million during WW2
-Gunner Myrdal – 1944 ‘An American Dilemma’ – highlighted the reality of racial injustice – had faith in American
ideals and was optimistic about the future – HOWEVER, underestimated strength of white racial prejudice and
had thought that whites would lead the way to change
WW2 = turning point in nation’s quest for greater ethnic acculturation and racial equality – classes and races
served for same cause
FOR: Huge disparities in wealth across the nation – ranged from billionaire dynasties eg. Rockefellers to
impoverished people of Appalachian Mountains
SOCIAL -Worker-employer tensions peaked in 1946 – 4.6 million workers went on strike and 116 million working days
, HARRY S. TRUMAN 1945-52 - DEMOCRAT
DIVISIONS:
lost – factories made huge profits during war but were not passing this to workers
1940S AGAINST:Wall Street Crash 1929 and Great Depression levelled out many social inequalities – reduced wealth of
middle class and created culture of thrift and hard work
-GI Bill of Rights 1944 – higher ed and house-buying aid for veterans = no. new homeowners inc dramatically
-% of college educated Americans rose by 5%
TOPIC THE USA AS A SUPERPOWER
POTSDAM: 16 JULY-2 AUGUST 1945
-Truman = determined to establish his position as a world leader and stand up to Stalin
TRUMAN’S -Received news of successful atomic bomb test – 24 JULY – told Stalin of a “new weapon of unusual destructive
CHARACTE force” – antagonising USSR
R AND -Stalin ignored concerns about the implementation of Communism in Poland
POLICIES: ATOMIC BOMBS: 6/9 AUGUST 1945
1945 -USA tried to exclude USSR from peace-making– bomb revolutionised world balance of power
-Stalin viewed Truman’s USA as a frightening military, economic and technological giant
SEPTEMBER 1945: Meeting Council of Foreign Ministers – draft peace Ts with defeated enemy, broke down
DEC 1945: US/USSR/BR ministers met in Moscow but German peace treaty prospects = poor due to
disagreements over control over Iran
FEBRUARY 1946: Stalin speech = incompatibility of Communism with Capitalism + inevitability of war
POST-WAR Long Telegram – GEORGE KENNAN (US Diplomat) - Truman receives word that USSR is building up military
PEACE power. Stalin calling for dest of cap- “continue to regard the Soviet Union as a rival” - No peace with USSR
MAKING: MARCH 1946: Iron Curtain – Europe was divided between capitalists (west) and communists (east).
1945-6 Stalin responds by comparing Churchill to Hitler – “not only Soviet influence but a v. high level of control from
Moscow” - Beginning of the ‘war of words’
JUNE 1946: Council of FM = Paris - finalised draft treats with Italy eg. – no agreement over GER, deterioration
GERMANY: Allied Control Council occupied 4 military governors of Gzones – meetings = increasingly bitter = US
troops remain in Europe for foreseeable + WG zones = economically and politically independent
1947: BR + US zones combined = deepening divisions – led to TD
GREECE: Truman administration wrongly believed Stalin was behind Communist opp. to conservative Greek gov –
tensions – could no longer by supported by Britain, USA send 40,000 troops:
THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE: cornerstone of CW policy
-George Kennan = should oppose the Soviets with” unalterable counter-force”
-12 MARCH 1947 - Truman advocated for Kennan’s doctrine in speech to Congress– asked for $400 million to
aid Turkey and Greece, granted – marked int of support to DEM nations
-Ended US tradition of ‘isolationism’ from international affairs; showed the world had to choose between
communist ‘tyranny’ and dem freedom – culmination of anxieties about crises such as Iran, Turkey etc.
RESPONSES: Senator Taft – criticised simplistic division of the world in two
CONTAINM Kennan – too sweeping, failed to ask whether a threatened state was worth or viable supporting
ENT: THE MARSHALL PLAN: SoS G Marshall feared post-war devastation in W.E = vulnerable to communism
1945-8 -JUNE 1947 - $13b to rebuild Europe, weaken appeal of communism, Stalin prevented ‘Sphere of Influence’ from
accepting – demonstrated bipartisan approach to Cold War
-‘THE TRUMAN PLAN’ – Congressional aide suggested name – TRUMAN: “anything with my name on it will
quiver a couple of times and die”
CAUSES:
THE BERLIN -BIZONIA (unif of FR, GB, US, GRM zones – single gov, JUNE 1948 – new currency to aid econc recovery
BLOCKADE -Threat to Stalin, unified W Zone = weak, undermine his control, worried that capitalist ideas would spread
+ AIRLIFT: 22 JUNE: Stalin set up a military blockade = cut western Germany off from Berlin –starvation for 2.2 million.
22 JUNE Truman responded with an airlift which saw planes dropping supplies into west Berlin every day – 1949, 4000
1948 – 12 tonnes each day = prevented blockade from succeeding and allowed Truman to win propaganda war because his
MAY 1949 actions were peaceful but Stalin = aggressive.
Stalin had hoped Winter would inhibit it, but it didn’t = 12 May 1949
NATO: The USA est a military alliance between USA and many WE countries – not just a political and economic division
