Truman and The Cold War

INTRODUCTION

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States who took over after the death of Franklin Roosevelt in the year 1945 which marked the end of the 2nd world war and the beginning of the cold war.

TRUMAN AND THE COLD WAR

President Truman had a policy that committed all the citizens of the United States in rebelling communism that had rooted itself all over the world. (Offner 2011)[1] notes that ‘his policies overlooked the way in which his parochial and nationalist outlook infused his policy-making, intensified Soviet-American conflict and division in Europe, and led to tragic interventions in Asian civil wars that made America’s Cold War ‘victory’ exceedingly costly.’ This in one way or the other articulated the beginning of cold war.

One important fact to be noted is that Truman had no idea on world leadership. He had no college degree thus was incapable of completely leading the United States well. He led USA into defeat in the war with Korea and this saw 20,000 USA soldiers perishing in death in the war.

Despite the fact that Truman played a small part in cold war after the Second World War, he had the legacy of the first president to use atomic bombs on Japan which brought success to the stopping of the 2nd world war which would have been very bloody. He was the first president to recognize the new Jewish nation formed by the state of Palestine in Israel as noted by (Kelly 2012)[2]

He saw to the punishment of the Nazi leaders who had committed crimes against humanity including other numerous horrible crimes.

Having grown in a Christian family and a close follower of the bible, he believed that the period of war was a punishment from God. This belief made him ‘to apply inexact analogies about 1930s appeasement to postwar disputes with the Soviet Union.’ So notes (Offner 2011).[3] Truman was more of a states man than a nationalist. He was a fearful man and lacked preparedness to face his enemies who were prepared to win.

Truman also believed that USA was safe with its atomic bombs and he believed that after using it on Japan, Japan will fear and thus give up and USA will occupy Japan. Even his advisors thought that the USA was a genius in the technology of construction of weapons. This thought gave them a sense of supremacy so they relaxed. ‘The Russians understood only an iron fist, Truman said, and he was tired of babying them’ (Offner 2011)[4] quotes. This assumption of superiority led him to believe that he had the rest of the world in the palm of his hand and this was his point where he thoroughly failed as a president. The world war two led USA and USSR to have completely different political and economic systems and this left the two countries at loggerheads because Stalin of the USSR could not stop spreading his idea of communism. To curb up this Truman had to form a policy that assured the USA resources and markets. He blamed the USSR and PRC for every problem that the world encountered.