Harry Truman Research Paper

Truman Essay

For Harry Truman the choice whether to use the bomb or not to use the bomb was one of the most difficult decisions of his life. The American soldiers and civilians were exhausted from four years of war, but still the Japanese military refused to give up there fight. American forces where occupying Okinawa and Iwo Jima and were intensely fire bombing Japanese cities. Japan had an army of 2 million, and they were staying strong. They stationed them selves in the home islands guarding against any invasion. The Allies demanded for immediate surrender, although the demand said that refusal would result in total destruction, there was no mention of any weapon of mass destruction. The Japanese military refused to surrender. On August
6, 1945 a plane called the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. 70,000 Japanese citizens were instantly vaporized. An additional 100,000 perished from burns and radiation sickness. Then the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where 80,000 Japanese people perished. August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered. Some say that Truman’s decision was a barbaric act the brought negative long- term consequence to the United States, while military analysts say that Japan was on its last leg any way, and the bombing were simply unnecessary. Truman stated that his decision to drop the bomb was purely military. Truman also believes that the bombings saved Japanese lives as well as taking them. He believes without them the war would have continued on longer and taken even more Japanese lives. Granted, the scientific side of the military fail to foresee the horrible effects of radiation sickness, Truman saw no difference between the atomic bomb on Hiroshima or fire bombing Dresden or Tokyo. In some opinions Truman’s decision was justified and in some its not. In perhaps the most famous civilian- military confrontation in the history of the United States, President Harry S.
Truman relieved Douglas MacArthur of command of the U.S. forces in Korea. The dismissal of MacArthur set off a brief uproar among the American public, but Truman remained committed to keeping the conflict in Korea a “limited war.” Problems with the flamboyant and egotistical General had been brewing for months. In the beginning of the war in Korea the general had devised some brilliant strategies and military maneuvers the helped save South Korea from falling to the invading forces of North Korea. As U.S. and United Nations forces turned the tide of battle in Korea, MacArthur argued for a policy of pushing into North Korea to completely defeat the communist forces. Truman went along with this plan, but worried that the communist government of the People's Republic of China might take the invasion as a hostile act and intervene in the conflict. In October 1950, MacArthur met with Truman and assured him that the chances of a Chinese intervention were slim. Then, in November and December 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops crossed into North Korea and flung themselves against the American lines, driving the U.S. troops back into South Korea. MacArthur then asked for permission to bomb communist China and use Nationalist Chinese forces from Taiwan against the People's Republic of China. Truman flatly refused these requests and a very public argument
began to develop between the two men.
In April 1951, President Truman fired MacArthur and replaced him with Gen. Matthew Ridgeway. On April 11, Truman addressed the nation and explained his actions. He began by defending his overall policy in Korea, declaring, "It is right for us to be in Korea." He excoriated the "communists in the Kremlin who are engaged in a monstrous conspiracy to stamp out freedom all over the world." He explained, it "would be wrong—tragically wrong—for us to take the initiative in extending the war... Our aim is to avoid the spread of the conflict." The president continued, "I believe that we must try to limit the war to Korea for these vital reasons: To make sure that the precious lives of our fighting men are not wasted; to see that the security of our country and the free world is not needlessly jeopardized; and to prevent a third world war." General MacArthur had been fired "so that there would be no doubt or confusion as to the real purpose and aim of our policy." On May 14, 1948 President Harry Truman announced that the United States would offer recognition of the new State of Israel. His decision, coming only eleven minutes after the new government was formed in the former British mandate of Palestine, gave immediate legitimacy to a country that existed only on paper and in the hearts of the world-wide Jewish community. Truman's decision to recognize Israel was one of the most difficult decisions of his Presidency. Many on his staff and in his Cabinet argued against recognition, in part because it would anger the surrounding Arab nations and threaten access to the vast oil reserves they held. In the end, though, Truman decided to recognize Israel to provide for a Jewish homeland. The decision was largely personal, stemming from his understanding of the Bible and from his interpretation of historical texts. He was also swayed by the advocacy of longtime Jewish friends like his fellow World War I soldier and early business partner Eddie Jacobson. Harry S. Truman had a lot of controversial decisions while in office, but all in all I believe he did the best to his ability’s and kept Americas concerns in thought.