TRUMAN DOCTRINE ESSAY

Dear President Bush

You are not alone to have the lowest ratings among XX century American President. President Harry S Truman is often compared with you by his ratings and by his folksy demeanor.

However, there are a number of differences between both of you. You both have different backgrounds. Soon at the outbreak of the war Truman did not sneak volunteered the armed

forces and displayed a great deal of courage during the warfare in France. His battery had no causalities. Harry S Truman was rather controversial figure. He assumed responsibility for the first and thank God, still the only use of nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, it was he either to

restrain the hawks-generals from aggressive movements in Germany during blockade of Berlin having saved the world from unleashing new world war.  In addition, it was he also who provided Americans with worthwhile jobs and dwelling places many inhabitants of urban areas.

So let us consider his career as the frames of the task allows. Truman Doctrine was a speech delivered by the President Harry S Truman to the joint session

of the Congress on March 12, 1947. The president proposed to offer Greece and Turkey military and economical aid in order to prevent these countries’ falling under the Soviet influence. He claimed USA should have supported “free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”. Some two weeks before the British embassy had informed the American state department that United Kingdom found itself no more able to support Greek and Turkish governments in their efforts to resist communist pressure they underwent.

Having been exhausted id World War II Great Britain found itself no more able to maintain its role of the Great Power so she transferred that role to one of the new Great Power ”“ to the United States of America. Nonetheless, Truman did not mention the Soviet Union in that speech it was obvious that the Doctrine aimed against that country which having not recovered from the War was doing its best broaden its influence outside Eastern Europe. So delivering Truman Doctrine speech signified embarking the new policy of Containment.

Truman’s presidency was marked by the first use of nuclear weapons his administration did not initiated direct conflict between USA and the Soviets nonetheless the latter’s resources and national economy was seriously damaged during four years warfare. Moreover, USA reduced the number of its armed forces to less than 2 million from that of 6 million in 1945.

It took the soviets four years to obtain nuclear weapon of their own and Truman’s administration managed to take advantage of it solving interior problems. Soon World War was over the government had to face renewal of labor unions’ movement. National railway strike in spring 1946 virtually paralyzed US railway transport. After the workers rejected proposals of settlement, Truman threatened to conscript the strikers into the military service. Exactly at the moment when the president was delivering the speech on the strike, he received the message that the labor-management conflict had been settled on his terms.

Another achievement of Truman’s presidency was a set of measures known as Fair Deal. President Lyndon Johnson later referred to Fair Deal implementing his Great Society reforms such as Medicare. Housing Act of 1949 provided many people with worthwhile dwelling spaces.

Fair Deal comprised also integration of armed forces and appointed the first federal committee for investigation race and religion discrimination.

President Truman is reported to have recognized Israeli independence eleven minutes after its proclamation. It its worth of mentioning that he had suffered a serious pressure both from Zionists as well as from opposes of creation of Jewish state. Anyway, president overcame it. In the lightning of the Soviets’ concern in Palestinian affairs (Soviet Union was also among the first advocates of creation of Jewish state in Palestine), Truman’s haste should be esteemed as a great success. After Soviet Union and Israel broke off diplomatic relationships between them, USA obtained an important ally in the oil-bearing Near East.

Another foreign policy success made by Truman’s administration was Berlin Airlift 1948. On June 24, the Soviet Union initiated blockade of Western-held sectors of Berlin.  General Lucius D. Clay who commanded American troops in Germany proposed to send armored columned along autobahn instructed to resist if being attacked. As the Commander in Chief President Truman rejected that plan believing it to b able to bring to the war with Soviets. In stead, he approved the plan of supply the blocked city by air. Nonetheless, the Soviets granted ground access the Airlift went on working several months after and significantly helped Truman during his election campaign in 1948.

USA was the first country to recognize Pakistan, which became an American ally afterwards. President Truman had to deal with accusations that dozens of federal officials were on the Soviet intelligence’s payroll. Soon after the Soviets successfully exploited the atomic bomb of their own, which signified the loss of nuclear secrets by the US and proclamation People’s Republic in mainland China made such suspicions to be taken seriously. On February 9, 1950, republican senator Joseph McCarthy accused the state department of being penetrated by communist spies.

It must be noted that many of McCarthy’s accusations have not been still disproved.

Nevertheless, the word McCarthyism is still like some indecency like a witch-hunt yet President Truman himself managed to retain the image of a wise and just leader. Moreover, he is still ranked as the one of top ten American presidents.

As it was mentioned at the beginning of our lecture, you both have a lot of common but there are  many considerable differences between both of you as politicians and personalities. Everything is”¦ personal as it goes in a famous fiction novel. Since his early days, he earned himself his daily bread. Having graduated High school young Harry worked as a timekeeper for the railroad and had to sleep in hobo camps. Poor sight did not allow him to fulfill his dream to enter West Point yet neither that fault nor alleged parents’ care restrained him from volunteering National Guard and going to France.

We could admit that a politician could not be an honest man in the proper sense of the word yet. President Truman was likely more honest than many of his colleagues. After all before entering politics he had struggled for his country but not consumed it as other had done. This probably was the reason why all his activities were aimed and often successfully to care of his country fellowmen. During World War I the battery he commanded had NO CASUALITIES. In 1945 he assumed responsibility for use of nuclear weapons ”“ the crime could be compared but to Auschwitz butchery. Nevertheless, that crime allowed saving hundreds of thousands of American military men awaited by their mothers and sweethearts at home. The nations evaluated his deeds and now he is ranked among top ten of American presidents although during his cadences his ratings were probably as low as currently are yours.