Harry Truman: Containing Communism|5-Minute Videos
Harry Truman led America to victory in World War II, however a new challenge was looming: the spread of communism across the globe. Would America’s 33rd president retreat into isolation, or battle the new danger head-on? Elizabeth Spalding, senior fellow at Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, explains his choice and what it cost him.
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Script:
Upon knowing of Franklin Roosevelt’s death on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman was reported to have said, “I seemed like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had actually fallen on me.”
It was just a slight exaggeration.
The choices the 33rd president had to make in simply the next four months would have crushed any regular person.
Handling the German surrender in May 1945, licensing the use of the atomic bomb to end the war in the Pacific in August, and transforming the economy from wartime to peacetime are just a sample of what he had to contend with.
It was also becoming clear that the Soviet Union was not going to be a partner in the postwar world. It was going to be an enemy set on world dominance.
Truman wasn’t about to let this happen.
The very first agenda was to save Western Europe. Eastern Europe was already gone.
As Winston Churchill clearly explained in March 1946, “… an iron curtain has come down throughout the Continent.”
Truman agreed with Churchill, devoting the United States to including the Soviet hazard. This ended up being known as the Truman Doctrine.
Around the exact same time, Truman’s most relied on advisor, Secretary of State George Marshall, returned from Europe deeply worried. Marshall reported it would take an unprecedented effort by the United States to breathe life into a moribund European economy.
Truman licensed $13 billion in financial aid, a phenomenal figure for the time. This ended up being referred to as the Marshall Plan. And indeed, it achieved its goal: the healing of Europe, warding off Soviet expansionism.
In May 1948, a brand-new crisis emerged: a war was raging between the Arabs and the Jews. The UN was searching for a service. The concern before Truman: should the United States acknowledge the new state of Israel?
Marshall argued “No.” It would further antagonize Arab states. Truman saw a moral issue– the Jews had actually suffered enough over the centuries, a lot of particularly in the current Holocaust– as well as a Biblical and historical issue– this was the Jews’ ancient homeland.
Thanks to Truman, on May 14, 1948, America became the very first nation to acknowledge the Jewish state.
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Harry Truman led America to success in World War II, however a new difficulty was looming: the spread of communism throughout the world. Around the very same time, Truman’s a lot of trusted advisor, Secretary of State George Marshall, returned from Europe deeply concerned. Truman authorized $13 billion in financial help, an incredible figure for the time. The question before Truman: should the United States recognize the new state of Israel?
Truman saw a moral problem– the Jews had actually suffered enough over the centuries, many specifically in the current Holocaust– as well as a Biblical and historical concern– this was the Jews’ ancient homeland.
