Presidential Modernity: Harry Truman and the Foreign Policy Decision Making Process

Harry Truman is an overshadowed figure in presidential politics and history. His presidency was wedged between two titans of the office, the politically savvy Franklin Roosevelt and universally beloved war hero Dwight Eisenhower, and his overall influence and impact is downplayed when compared these two men. This research examines what influence Truman exerted upon the executive branch by asking “how has Harry Truman influenced the foreign policy decision making process of office of the presidency and how, if at all, could his actions be considered modern?” Through a comparative case study analysis of four foreign policy events, this paper highlights the progression of Truman’s decision-making process and shows how it assumed a modern style

America\u27s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan

During the time President Truman authorized the use of the atomic bomb against Japan, the United States was preparing to invade the Japanese homeland. The brutality and the suicidal defenses of the Japanese military had shown American planners that there was plenty of fight left in a supposedly defeated enemy. Senior military and civilian leaders presented Truman with several options to force the surrender of Japan. The options included the tightening of the naval blockade and aerial bombardment of Japan, invasion, a negotiated peace settlement, and the atomic bomb became an option, once bomb became operational. Truman received recommendations, advice and proposals from civilian and military leaders within the first two months of taking office after President Roosevelt died. Only after meeting with the senior leadership to discuss the various options did Truman authorize the planning and execution of the invasion of Japan. However, the extremely large casualty estimates presented by the Chiefs of Staff remained a concern for Truman, especially in the wake of the bloody battles on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. These estimates became the driving factor for Truman’s ultimate decision to use the new weapon against Japan and to end the war before anymore Americans service members died unnecessarily. The decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan was only Truman’s decision to make. All the other leaders provided their recommendations and advice based on the events that shaped the brutalities of the war in the pacific. At no time did Truman receive advice on not using the atomic bomb. Critics and military leaders’ disapproval of his decision came after the war had ended. To this day, Truman’s decision remains a controversial topic among scholars and will continue to be a source of debate well into the future

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the atom bomb, the American military mind and the end of the Second World War

The decision by the US government to drop the atomic bombs on Japan is one of the most heavily debated questions in history. This article examines one element of that debate, in many ways the most surprising. That was the different views of the top of the military hierarchy in the USA, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS was on the whole more sceptical about using atomic weaponry than the USA’s civilian leadership, for ethical and strategic reasons. As such they were willing to consider very different ways of ending the war.PostprintPeer reviewe

President Truman decides to use the atom bomb

The creation of atomic bomb has greatly influenced interactions between nations in today\u27s world. But how did this come to be? President Harry S. Truman ordered the use of the first atomic bombs in history during World War II. The decision to use such a powerful weapon must have be difficult however. This thesis analyzes President Truman\u27s choice to use the atom bomb which forever changed the world as we know it

Complete Issue 16(1)

Complete digitized issue (volume 16, issue 1, Fall 1978) of Speaker & Gavel

Female Scientists, the Military, and Informing Policy

The Manhattan Project, which was ultimately responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb, provided previously scarce opportunities for female scientists to contribute to a large government/military research project. Although women found positions in the Manhattan Project more easily than previous or other projects, the work conducted by those women was largely perceived as having reduced significance than similar work being conducted by male scientists. In the male dominated culture, women were once again subjugated to the sidelines despite the significant contributions made by female scientists. In general, the opportunities for scientists to inform political and public policy was limited at the time, but women faced additional obstacles due to their sex. In the telling of the history of the Manhattan Project, women have been relegated to the sidelines. This essay will examine the role of female scientists, specifically physicists, in the Manhattan Project and their ability to inform policy as limited by their sex and argue that despite facing many obstacles, female scientists were able to make valuable contributions to the Manhattan Project that contributed to the overall success of the project

180 Degrees Out: The Change in US Strategic Bombing Applications 1935-1955

This dissertation examines how the U.S. Army/Air Force developed strategic bombing applications during the 1930s and then changed them during World War II and in early Cold War planning. This narrative history analyzes the governmental, military, and social influences that changed U.S. bombing methods. The study addresses how the Air Force diverted from a professed strategy of precision bombardment during the inter-war years only to embrace area, fire, and atomic bombardment during WW II. Furthermore, the treatise continues in this vein by examining how the USAF developed atomic and thermonuclear applications during the post war era and the Cold War