Truman on the Presidency

Though FDR’s preference was for his running mate in 1944 was Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, party bosses wanted Harry Truman to keep the support of conservatives. Truman is said to have responded through intermediaries “Tell him to go to hell.” But, under the advice of the party bosses, President Roosevelt decided on Truman, who was then pressured to accept the nomination.

Roosevelt and Truman did not communicate much during the campaign or even after they were sworn in. After one meeting with the President, Truman said “He does all the talking and he talks about what he wants to talk about, and he never talks about anything you want to talk about, so there isn’t much you can do.” Truman is said to have disliked Roosevelt, believing him to be dishonest.

In April 1945, only eighty-two days after taking the Vice Presidential oath, Harry Truman was sworn in as President. After Roosevelt’s death, Truman was quoted as saying “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.” During his time as Vice President, his contact with President Roosevelt was limited. He was unaware of many of the issues Roosevelt had been dealing with, including the development of the atomic bomb.

President Truman asked Mr. Roosevelt’s cabinet to stay at their posts. He said he would “carry on as he believed the President would have done.” In time, however, he began to replace many of Roosevelt’s cabinet with his own appointees. 

Following in Roosevelt’s footsteps was a difficult task, as Roosevelt had the charisma and public-speaking skills that had won him the election four times in a row. Truman didn’t have these skills, but he was easy for people to relate to. He came from a humble background and the people felt he was both honest and hard-working.

   

Roosevelt’s plans for the US post-WWI included significant cooperation with the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and China. During his presidency he put a great deal of effort into building a relationship with the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. These plans and expectations would affect the course of Truman’s policy making decisions. Taking office at the end of the war, Truman was left to deal with big foreign policy decisions. The most significant of these was the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan. Under his leadership, the US undertook a great deal of commitments and became significantly more engaged in global issues. While he likely did not intend to transform US foreign policy so drastically, the circumstances at the time demanded that policy adapt.  

Sources:
Krock, Arthur. "President Roosevelt Is Dead; Truman to Continue Policies; 9th Crosses Elbe, Nears Berlin." Editorial. The New York Times 13 Apr. 1945: 1. On This Day. The New York Times. Web. 24 June 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0412.html>.

Miscamble, Wilson D. "Harry S. Truman, the Bomb, and the Transformation of U.S. Foreign Policy." John O'Sullivan Memorial Lecture Series (2008): 4-7. Florida Atlantic University. Web. 24 June 2015. <http://www.fau.edu/osullivan/images/Wilson_D__Miscamble_pub.pdf>.
 
"Harry S. Truman." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 24 June 2015. <https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/harrystruman>.

"What Franklin Roosevelt & Harry Truman Thought of Each Other." Carl Anthony Online. N.p., 25 June 2012. Web. 25 June 2015. <http://carlanthonyonline.com/2012/06/25/what-franklin-roosevelt-harry-truman-really-thought-of-each-other/>.

"Biographical Sketch Harry S. Truman." American President: Harry S. Truman: Domestic Affairs. Miller Center, n.d. Web. 26 June 2015. <http://millercenter.org/president/truman/essays/biography/4>.