Truman foreign policy:
The United States in 1945:
The powers of president
● For much of the 1930s republicans and democrats were isolationist
● Rooslevlt persuaded congress to aid britain against germany and china against jaan
● When japanese attacked US naval base in pearl harbor 1941, declared war against Japan
● Within days, Germany declared war on america
Legacies of ww2:
● US- wealthiest nation in the world
● Post war economy boomed
● Regional divisions decreased
● African americans became more assertive in seeking their civil rights
● Presidential power in fpol increased
Soviet American relations before Truman:
● US and Soviets were allies in ww2 but enemies soon after
● Different ideologies and aims
The american dream:
● Capitalism, money and consumerism
● Land of the free- opportunity, social mobility
● Independance
Ideological differences::
● Capitalism- socio economic system of private ownership and minimal government intervention
- Democratic, freedom of the press and freedom of speech
- Class distinction
● Communism- system of common ownership and a classless society
- Trade & economy controlled by the state
- No class distinction
- ‘Everyone is equal’
● Roosevelt died in April 1945. Truman had not been kept informed on foreign and domestic policies. Lacked
experience and knowledge.
Key Figures
● Secretary of State- the head of a state department, responsible for government affairs
● James F Byrnes- Secretary of state- 1945-47
● George Marshall- Secretary of state- 1947-49
● Dean Acheson- Secretary of State- 1949-53
● Winston Churchill- Former British Prime Minister
The cold war:
● An ideological and political rivalry between the US and USSR. 1947-1989.
Post-war Negotiations:
The end of WW2:
Was ww2 america’s good war?
● Yes
- Post war prosperity
- Ended the depression and made america rich again
- Confidence in capitalism
- New jobs, thriving industry
- Sense that there was a good reason for fighting
- Servicemen returned more liberal
- Social divisions improved. Between 1942-1945, 6 mill woman joined workforce.
- 33.9% women aged 16+ were employed by 1950
- Middle class god bigger because of post war economic loans, less social divide
- Gi bill 1944 helped ww2 veterans
● No
- Encouraged america to use military force
- Ww2 glorified
- Needed to be more concerned about peace rather than fighting
, Yalta 1945
● February 1945
● ‘Big three’- roosevelt, stalin and churchill. Us, USSR and Britain.
● Agreements:
- Germany would be divided into four sectors of occupation- American, Soviet, British and French
- Roosevelt wanted Soviet aid in war against Japan. Offered Stalin economic concessions in China. Stalin
promised Soviet entry into the war.
- Eastern europe would be a soviet ‘sphere of influence’
● Tensions
- Berlin lay within the Soviet sector but was divided into 4 zones.
- American reluctantly shared knowledge of development of atomic bomb to Britain. Tried to hide it from
Soviets but failed.
- Discussed post war governance in Eastern Europe, Stalin promised democratic elections in Poland. He
lied.
● Two major causes of wartime tension were the atomic bomb and Poland.
● Roosevelt died April 1945. Truman lacked experience and knowledge and had not been kept informed on foreign
and domestic policies.
● Washington Post noted ‘the great disparity between Mr Truman’s experience and the responsibilities that have
been thrust upon him’
● Followed Roosevelt’s policies and advisers
● Truman recalled ‘I like the little son of a bitch’ (Stalin)
● Stalin told a colleague truman was ‘worthless’
Potsdam:
● July-August 1945.
● Agreements
- Amicable agreement on 5ds. Demilitarisation, decentralisation, deindustrialisation, denazification and
democratisation of germany
- Stalin confirmed he would join war against Japan 3 months after defeat of Germany
● Tensions
- Stalin ignored Truman and Churchill’s opposition to imposition of communism in Germany
- Unaware of soviet spying capabilities, Truman informed Stalin that the US had successfully tested a new
weapon.
- New leader- tensions
Atomic bomb dropped on Japan:
● Stalin declared war 8th august
● 6th and 9th August 1945
● Why he used it: public statement. Hiroshima was strong military base, dropped there first so as not to kill civilians.
Revenge for pearl harbour (japan attacked america without warning in 1941, disobeyed international law).
Shorten agony of war. Get Japan to surrender. Bombed an untouched city to show its full potential.
● Agreements:
- Stalin kept promise and declared war on Japan, August 8th 1945
- 2 atomic bombs dropped by Truman on Japan. Forced them to surrender.
● Tensions:
- US worked to exclude soviets from peace agreements with japan
- USSR not told about plan to drop bobs, supposed to be allies
- Stalin viewed truman’s us as an economic military and technological giant, far more powerful than
war-torn soviet union. Revolutionised world's balance of power. (Krushchev)
Was Truman to blame for the cold war?
INEVITABLE:
● Opposing ideologies
● Long term tensions (antagonism dated from Russian Revolution of 1917 after which Russia became world’s first
communist nation)
● Wartime disagreements
● American secrecy and possession over the atomic bomb
● Imbalance of power
● Personalities of Stalin and Truman
- Stalin was suspicious and defensive
- Truman lacked Roosevelt’s emollient charm and patience
YES:
The United States in 1945:
The powers of president
● For much of the 1930s republicans and democrats were isolationist
● Rooslevlt persuaded congress to aid britain against germany and china against jaan
● When japanese attacked US naval base in pearl harbor 1941, declared war against Japan
● Within days, Germany declared war on america
Legacies of ww2:
● US- wealthiest nation in the world
● Post war economy boomed
● Regional divisions decreased
● African americans became more assertive in seeking their civil rights
● Presidential power in fpol increased
Soviet American relations before Truman:
● US and Soviets were allies in ww2 but enemies soon after
● Different ideologies and aims
The american dream:
● Capitalism, money and consumerism
● Land of the free- opportunity, social mobility
● Independance
Ideological differences::
● Capitalism- socio economic system of private ownership and minimal government intervention
- Democratic, freedom of the press and freedom of speech
- Class distinction
● Communism- system of common ownership and a classless society
- Trade & economy controlled by the state
- No class distinction
- ‘Everyone is equal’
● Roosevelt died in April 1945. Truman had not been kept informed on foreign and domestic policies. Lacked
experience and knowledge.
Key Figures
● Secretary of State- the head of a state department, responsible for government affairs
● James F Byrnes- Secretary of state- 1945-47
● George Marshall- Secretary of state- 1947-49
● Dean Acheson- Secretary of State- 1949-53
● Winston Churchill- Former British Prime Minister
The cold war:
● An ideological and political rivalry between the US and USSR. 1947-1989.
Post-war Negotiations:
The end of WW2:
Was ww2 america’s good war?
● Yes
- Post war prosperity
- Ended the depression and made america rich again
- Confidence in capitalism
- New jobs, thriving industry
- Sense that there was a good reason for fighting
- Servicemen returned more liberal
- Social divisions improved. Between 1942-1945, 6 mill woman joined workforce.
- 33.9% women aged 16+ were employed by 1950
- Middle class god bigger because of post war economic loans, less social divide
- Gi bill 1944 helped ww2 veterans
● No
- Encouraged america to use military force
- Ww2 glorified
- Needed to be more concerned about peace rather than fighting
, Yalta 1945
● February 1945
● ‘Big three’- roosevelt, stalin and churchill. Us, USSR and Britain.
● Agreements:
- Germany would be divided into four sectors of occupation- American, Soviet, British and French
- Roosevelt wanted Soviet aid in war against Japan. Offered Stalin economic concessions in China. Stalin
promised Soviet entry into the war.
- Eastern europe would be a soviet ‘sphere of influence’
● Tensions
- Berlin lay within the Soviet sector but was divided into 4 zones.
- American reluctantly shared knowledge of development of atomic bomb to Britain. Tried to hide it from
Soviets but failed.
- Discussed post war governance in Eastern Europe, Stalin promised democratic elections in Poland. He
lied.
● Two major causes of wartime tension were the atomic bomb and Poland.
● Roosevelt died April 1945. Truman lacked experience and knowledge and had not been kept informed on foreign
and domestic policies.
● Washington Post noted ‘the great disparity between Mr Truman’s experience and the responsibilities that have
been thrust upon him’
● Followed Roosevelt’s policies and advisers
● Truman recalled ‘I like the little son of a bitch’ (Stalin)
● Stalin told a colleague truman was ‘worthless’
Potsdam:
● July-August 1945.
● Agreements
- Amicable agreement on 5ds. Demilitarisation, decentralisation, deindustrialisation, denazification and
democratisation of germany
- Stalin confirmed he would join war against Japan 3 months after defeat of Germany
● Tensions
- Stalin ignored Truman and Churchill’s opposition to imposition of communism in Germany
- Unaware of soviet spying capabilities, Truman informed Stalin that the US had successfully tested a new
weapon.
- New leader- tensions
Atomic bomb dropped on Japan:
● Stalin declared war 8th august
● 6th and 9th August 1945
● Why he used it: public statement. Hiroshima was strong military base, dropped there first so as not to kill civilians.
Revenge for pearl harbour (japan attacked america without warning in 1941, disobeyed international law).
Shorten agony of war. Get Japan to surrender. Bombed an untouched city to show its full potential.
● Agreements:
- Stalin kept promise and declared war on Japan, August 8th 1945
- 2 atomic bombs dropped by Truman on Japan. Forced them to surrender.
● Tensions:
- US worked to exclude soviets from peace agreements with japan
- USSR not told about plan to drop bobs, supposed to be allies
- Stalin viewed truman’s us as an economic military and technological giant, far more powerful than
war-torn soviet union. Revolutionised world's balance of power. (Krushchev)
Was Truman to blame for the cold war?
INEVITABLE:
● Opposing ideologies
● Long term tensions (antagonism dated from Russian Revolution of 1917 after which Russia became world’s first
communist nation)
● Wartime disagreements
● American secrecy and possession over the atomic bomb
● Imbalance of power
● Personalities of Stalin and Truman
- Stalin was suspicious and defensive
- Truman lacked Roosevelt’s emollient charm and patience
YES:
