Leaders - Truman (US, 1945-1953) Notes

Key Questions

1. How did Truman contribute to an increase in tensions 1945-53?
2. How did Truman contribute to a decrease in tensions 1945-53?

1. Truman’s Overall Approach to the Cold War

1. Harry Truman became US president in April 1945 following the death of Roosevelt, inheriting responsibility for managing relations with the USSR at a critical moment.
2. Truman took a much firmer stance towards communism than Roosevelt, partly due to mistrust of Stalin and fears about Soviet expansion in Europe.
3. His policies were shaped by the belief that the spread of communism threatened US security, democracy, and global stability.
4. As a result, Truman played a central role in both escalating Cold War tensions and, in limited ways, attempting to manage them.

2. Actions That Increased Cold War Tensions

1. Truman adopted a tougher attitude towards the USSR at the Potsdam Conference (1945), where disagreements over Germany, reparations, and Eastern Europe became clear.
2. The decision to use the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 increased Soviet fears of US military dominance and contributed to the arms race
3. In 1947, Truman announced the Truman Doctrine, committing the USA to containment and promising military and economic support to countries threatened by communism.
4. This doctrine was first applied in Greece and Turkey, where the USA intervened to prevent communist influence, alarming the USSR.
5. Truman supported the Marshall Plan (1947), offering large-scale economic aid to Europe to encourage recovery and stability, but the USSR viewed it as economic imperialism.
6. When Stalin rejected the Marshall Plan and forced Eastern European states to do the same, Europe became divided into two economic and ideological blocs.
7. Truman’s decision to back the creation of West Germany intensified tensions, particularly over Berlin, which contributed to the Berlin Blockade (1948–49).
8. The USA’s leadership in forming NATO (1949) formalised military opposition to the USSR and deepened Cold War divisions.

3. Truman’s Role in the Berlin Crisis

1. During the Berlin Blockade, Truman refused to withdraw from West Berlin, believing this would encourage further Soviet aggression.
2. Instead, he authorised the Berlin Airlift, supplying the city by air for nearly a year.
3. This response avoided direct military conflict while demonstrating US commitment to containment.
4. Although the blockade ended in 1949, the crisis hardened divisions and confirmed the permanent division of Germany.

4. Actions That Helped Limit or Manage Cold War Tensions

1. Despite his firm stance, Truman avoided direct war with the USSR and consistently rejected military confrontation in Europe.
2. The Berlin Airlift was a defensive and humanitarian response rather than an aggressive military action, reducing the risk of escalation.
3. Truman supported the use of international institutions, such as the United Nations, to manage disputes, even though Cold War rivalry limited their effectiveness.
4. He accepted the reality of Soviet control in Eastern Europe, choosing not to intervene militarily despite ideological opposition.
5. Truman’s policies aimed to contain communism rather than destroy it, which helped prevent a direct superpower conflict.
6. Even during the Korean War, Truman resisted calls to use nuclear weapons against China or the USSR, limiting the conflict to avoid a wider war.

5. Overall Impact of Truman on the Cold War.

1. Truman’s leadership marked a clear shift from wartime cooperation to Cold War confrontation.
   1. His policies helped define the Cold War through containment, economic rivalry, and military alliances.
   2. While his actions significantly increased tensions with the USSR, he also established limits that prevented the Cold War from turning into a hot war.
   3. Truman’s approach laid the foundations for US Cold War policy for decades, shaping superpower relations until the end of the Cold War.