HARRY S. TRUMAN 1945-53

PRESIDENT - DEMOCRAT, 1945-53

STRENGTHS:

FOREIGN POLICY POWER:

• with rising cold war tensions, Truman was able to flex his muscles abroad: Truman doctrine, Marshall plan, containment, and th korean war. following WW2, presidents had far more independence and control over foreign affairs, especially now nuclear weapons were a reality.

  A MAN OF THE PEOPLE:

• Truman was an excelled campaigner, and in the 1948 election he undertook a 33-day campaign across 30,000 miles

POST-WAR BOOM:

• the economy following WWII was growing, and many people began to enjoy a better standard of living

WEAKNESSES:

WELL THAT WASN’T VERY PRESIDENTIAL:

• He failed to fill the shoes of FDR, and many mocked his temper, indecision, adn often flat personality. A runnig joke during his administaion was ‘To err, is to be Truman.’ During the Korean war, one spat with a critic over his daughter’s dancing led to anger nad outrage over his priorities,

CONGRESIONAL CONSTIPATION:

• Truman and Congress didn’t really see eye-to-eye. Truamn cetoed Congress 250 times,a dn they overrode him 12 times! Congress found Truman asking for way too much, and he didn’t have the charisma or contacts that FDr had.

COMMIE COWARD:

• Truman was unable o control teh hyseria in Congress, and he as often accused of being soft on Communism (despite many actions contrary to this claim). Whilst Truman thought that the Red Scare was ‘a load of baloney’, he failed to control those such as McCarthy who spread chaotic accusations.

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