President Harry Truman

Who was President Truman?

Harry S Truman was the 33rd President of the United States, holding office from 1945 to 1953.

What was an overview of Truman's time as president?

Truman's time as president included the following events:

• ❖ He took over from Franklin D Roosevelt during the Second World War.
• ❖ He oversaw huge challenges both domestically and internationally as America transitioned from fighting the Second World War in 1945 to the onset of the Cold War between 1947 and 1949.
• ❖ His policy of the Truman Doctrine and the policy of the containment became the cornerstone of American foreign policy for decades.
• ❖ In the years after his presidency he faced huge criticism as the president who 'lost China to communism'.
• ❖ He is now considered by historians to be one of America's greatest presidents.

What was President Truman's attitude towards communism?

Truman objected to the USSR's control over the countries of eastern Europe. He believed the USSR was determined to expand, so he sought to contain the spread of communism during his time in office.

What conferences did Truman attend?

Truman attended the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 to discuss Nazi Germany and how to end the war.

What was Truman's involvement in the Cold War?

The Truman Doctrine, in 1947, highlighted America's new stance on communism and signalled the beginning of the US policy of containment.

What actions did Truman take in support of civil rights?

President Truman took 2 main actions in support of civil rights:

• ❖ In 1946, he set up the President's Committee on Civil Rights, which aimed to abolish segregation.
• ❖ He ended segregation in the armed forces by issuing executive order 9981 on 26th July, 1948.

What was the impact of President Truman's civil rights policies?

There were 3 main results of President Truman's civil rights policies:

• ❖ White people in the southern states were horrified.
• ❖ In 1948, some members broke away from the Democrat Party to create the States' Rights Democratic Party, nicknamed the 'Dixiecrats'.
• ❖ It gained President Truman support from African Americans, which helped in the 1948 elections.