The Truman Presidency
An Overview of Harry Truman's Time in Office
Harry Truman is unusual in that he did not originally achieve office through the normal electoral procedure. Rather, he inherited the position upon the death of his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt. He had been Vice President for only twelve weeks when he was forced to take on this hugely powerful position, and had been ill prepared by his mentor. This would prove to be an enormous challenge, as he would be obliged to preside over a nation recovering from one war and about to enter another. History has thus far been unsure as to where he should be placed on the chart of presidential greatness. Originally unpopular, he has however, steadily risen in the polls since his time in office.
The most high profile role of any president is that of foreign policy leader, or chief diplomat. Truman entered the world stage at an immensely difficult time. The Second World War was drawing to a close, and the Cold War was just beginning. In addition, Roosevelt had neglected to involve Truman in his own foreign policy, meaning that the new incumbent was unaware of many of the details. Truman is largely blamed for the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan; this was in fact a Roosevelt policy. Truman can, however, be credited with beginning the Cold War policy of containment. Two policies in particular stand out here: the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The Truman Doctrine involved sending military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey, in order to prevent them from falling under communist control. The Marshall Plan was a program designed to assist European recovery, and is generally regarded as being the first step taken towards European integration. This has since been followed by the creation of the European Economic Community, which has now grown to become the European Union.
Truman also struggled with the situation in Asia, most notably with the Korean War. He was unwilling to extend the conflict into China, thus turning a ‘police action’ into yet another war and antagonising the delicate relationship with the USSR. This caused major disagreements with General Douglas MacArthur and eventually led to the military leader’s dismissal.
Domestically, Truman attempted to continue his predecessor’s policies, but his poor relationship with Congress and his lack of political vision held him back in this area. The Taft-Hartley Act, which placed extensive restrictions on trade unions, was vetoed by the President but his decision was subsequently overturned and the Act is still in use today. However his Fair Deal program focused on employment opportunities, particularly for minority groups, and can be considered fairly successful. During Truman’s time in office a conservative coalition arose in Congress. Nevertheless he managed to secure a Democrat majority in the 1948 elections.
Harry Truman took on an incredibly difficult task when he aceded to the presidential office. Ill-informed and under-prepared, he had also to follow in the footsteps of one of America’s most loved leaders. Furthermore, he lacked both the political vision and charismatic style of his predecessor. Nevertheless, he was reasonably successful in the achievement of his legislative goals, and whilst misunderstood during his time in office, is now appreciated for his efforts.
Harry S. Truman
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