Crazy Bear Against Newborn Cub

Harry Truman’s Presidency

           

Harry S. Truman (left), son of a Missouri livestock trader, was born in 1884. After failing to mount a business, he sought a career in politics, and he earned the respect to run as Franklin Roosevelt’s Vice-President. On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt died and Truman took over, thrust into the presidency only a few months after becoming Vice-President. In negotiations with the Soviet Union after World War II, Truman felt that the United States had a large economic stake in not allowing the spread of communism, and instead spreading democracy and free trade practices around the globe. Truman wanted to keep up the boom that had occurred during the war.

            The first attempts to contain Soviet influences occurred in Turkey and Greece, where Britain asked the United States to take over responsibility. On March 12, 1947, Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid to these two nations, and he formed the Truman Doctrine: “it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”. In short, it was an official statement declaring indirect war against communism and the Soviet Union.

            In another fight against communism, this time in China, General MacArthur (right) butt heads with the new president. MacArthur wanted a full-scale war against China, and certain that he was correct in his opinion, he attempted to outdo the president. Truman, however, was just as stubborn, and on April 11, 1951, Truman shocked the United States by firing MacArthur. The public clearly backed the general, with 69% of the American public against Truman’s decision, but Truman fought through it, and eventually the public saw the reason for the madness. 

By Benjamin Hendricks and Andrew Chung