Reprinted from the OAH Magazine of History
7 (Fall 1992). ISSN 0882-228X

The Truman Era

Kathleen Xidis

Objectives
Upon completing this lesson, the student will be able to:
1. establish a historical context for the Truman era in relation to post-1945 U.S. history;
2. recognize and identify people connected with important domestic and foreign policy issues of the period;
3. identify origins of the “cold war” rationale for much of policy toward the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in the late 1940s and early 1950s;
4. trace decisions&emdash;and their consequences&emdash;of the Truman administration in establishing postwar policy for Europe;
5. understand the relation of major domestic events and issues during the Truman era;
6. trace causes and ramifications of the Korean War;
7. understand the creation of Israel in the context of Middle Eastern issues in the late 1940s; and
8. assess the Truman presidency and era as part of recent U.S. history.

Introduction
My interest in the presidency and era of Harry S. Truman (1945 to the early 1950s) continues year after year. At my community college I normally teach the survey course, “U.S. History from 1877 to the Present,” and each semester, face the organizational challenge of getting to the post-1945 portion early enough to make it interesting. I am preparing a new course on the U.S. since 1945, from which a unit on the Truman presidency and era would be important. Lastly, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, is within the Kansas City metropolitan area, and since I teach in that area, I keep current on developments at the library, particularly those related to teaching about the Truman presidency and period. The late 1940s and 1950s, and the Truman presidency itself, have been enjoying a revival of interest recently.

In the following content outline I include domestic history because it is easy to get caught up in foreign policy. Of course the two are related. I speculate about the origins of the cold war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and follow its development all the way to the late 1980s. Was it overemphasized by the U.S. and U.S.S.R.? How did leaders of the superpowers use tensions as a basis for policy? An interesting contrast could be drawn between Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech at Westminster College in 1946 and Mikhail Gorbachev’s speech at the same place in May 1992 where he emphasized the demise of the cold war.

Teaching the Truman presidency and era contributes to current discussion about organization of the course labeled “U.S. since 1945.” Since American history has nearly reached century’s end, it seems admirable to establish a framework for the earliest years.

Bibliography
Geselbracht, Raymond H., with Anita M. Heavener and Philip D. Lagerquist, comps. Guide to Historical Materials in the Harry S. Truman Library (World War II Commemorative Edition: Fifty Years, 1941-45 to 1992-95). Independence, Mo.: Harry S. Truman Library, 1991.

Harbutt, Fraser J. The Iron Curtain: Churchill, America, and the Origins of the Cold War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.

Keller, Morton. “American History Since 1945: A Framework for Periodization,” Occasional Paper of the National Council for History Education, Westlake, Ohio, October 1992.

Kirkendall, Richard S., ed. The Harry S. Truman Encyclopedia. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1989.

Leffler, Melvin P. A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration, and the Cold War. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1992.

McCullough, David. Truman. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.

Rhodes, Richard. The Making of the Atomic Bomb. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986.

Schaller, Michael, Virginia Scharff, and Robert D. Schulzinger. Present Tense: The United States Since 1945. Boston: Hough-ton Mifflin, 1992.

Kathleen Xidis teaches American history courses at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas.

Outline of the Truman era

I. Last year of World War II
A. Presidential election of 1944&emdash;Franklin D. Roosevelt’s health, Harry S. Truman as Democratic vice presidential nominee
B. April 1945, H.S.T. assumes presidency less than three months as vice president
C. H.S.T. not informed of policies by F.D.R.
D. Decision to use newly tested A-bomb (two) to bring swift conclusion to war with Japan, H.S.T.’s relationship with Interim Committee
E. July 17 through August 2, 1945, H.S.T.’s participation in Potsdam Conference
F. War with Japan ends
II. Immediate postwar issues
A. U.S. policies toward occupied Germany after 1945, four-power (U.S., U.S.S.R., Great Britain, France) issues
B. War crimes trials in Nuremberg and Tokyo
C. Issues of displaced persons in Europe and U.S. immigration policies
D. U.S. policy for occupation of Japan

III. Domestic developments
A. Reconversion
B. Expansion of consumer economy
C. H.S.T. v. Congress over Taft-Hartley to regulate labor unions
D. Effect of G.I. Bill of Rights on higher education
E. Second Red Scare
1. Case of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
2. Loyalty oaths
3. House Un-American Activities Committee
4. Hiss-Chambers investigation (Richard M. Nixon)
5. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and espionage issue in federal agencies and armed forces.
F. Politics and elections
1. Presidential election 1948, H.S.T. wins second term
2. Early 1950s, Democratic Party divides over foreign and domestic policy (K1C2&emdash;Korea, communism, corruption)
3. H.S.T unpopular as he leaves presidency in 1953, criticized for foreign and domestic problems; since 1953, H.S.T. uundergoes “restoration,” seen as important president

IV. Foreign policy during Truman era
A. Growing conflict between U.S. and U.S.S.R. over inability of four powers to agree on occupation policy for Germany; Germany “temporarily” divided into four occupation zones that eventually become two: U.S.-British-French zone and U.S.S.R. zone
B. Truman administration searches for policy for postwar Europe
1. Churchill’s speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, March 1946
2. Truman Doctrine announced for Greece and Turkey, supported by bipartisan vote in Congress
3. European Recovery Program that H.S.T. dubs the Marshall Plan
4. Cold war ideology as basis for foreign policy, George F. Kennan’s “long telegram” and article in Foreign Affairs, National Security Council paper No. 68. Creation of Central Intelligence Agency
5. Confrontation over Berlin in 1948-49 between U.S. and U.S.S.R.
6. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 1949
C. Domestic and international politics in creation of State of Israel, 1948
D. Policy in Asia
1. Occupation policy for Japan
2. Postwar decisions affecting Indochina
3. Korean War
a. Decision to intervene
b. Early period: June-October, 1950
c. Intervention by People’s Republic of China
d. Controversy over “limited police action” of U.N.
e. H.S.T.’s decision to dismiss General Douglas MacArthur
f. Korean conflict inconclusive as H.S.T. left office

V. Assessment of H.S.T. presidency from contemporary and present-day perspectives