1 / 17

President Harry S. Truman

President Harry S. Truman. Libertyville HS. Election of 1944. Dem nominee: FDR (of course . . . ) GOP nominee: Thomas Dewey (NY governor) Campaign focused on New Deal, FDR’s popularity Wartime successes during campaign Liberation of Paris Battle of Leyte Gulf. Results

parry
Télécharger la présentation

President Harry S. Truman

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. President Harry S. Truman Libertyville HS

  2. Election of 1944 • Dem nominee: FDR (of course . . . ) • GOP nominee: Thomas Dewey (NY governor) • Campaign focused on New Deal, FDR’s popularity • Wartime successes during campaign • Liberation of Paris • Battle of Leyte Gulf Results Roosevelt: 432 ECV / 25.6 million Dewey: 99 ECV / 22 million

  3. Death of FDR • FDR, 62 years, was dying • Paralysis (polio) • Lifetime chain smoker • High blood pressure • Emphysema • Atherosclerosis • Severe heart disease • April 12, 1945: FDR died while sitting for portrait • His death shocked the nation

  4. Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) • Missourian • No college degree (2 years) • Served in WWI (Artillery) • Elected to US Senate from MO, in 1934 • “Truman Committee” investigated fraud, mismanagement in military during WWII • Selected VP in 1944 (didn’t want it) • VP 82 days before becoming president

  5. President Truman • Asked all members of FDR’s cabinet to stay • Central principle of his admin: they advise, he decides, they support • “The Buck Stops Here” • “If you can’t stand the heat…” • Avid walker through DC • Called “the common man’s common man” (down home, folksy)

  6. Truman: Foreign policy challenges • United Nations • Truman strongly supported institution • Soviet Union • Aggressively spreading communism in Greece, Eastern Europe, Turkey • “Truman Doctrine”: policy of containment of USSR • US would support “free peoples resisting subjugation” • Recognition of Israel, May 14, 1948

  7. Truman: Foreign policy challenges • Rebuilding Europe: The Marshall Plan • Reconstruction of participating European states • “Softer” side of Truman Doctrine • Great success in resisting communism and helping Europe rebuild ($12.2 billion over 4 years) • Cold War • Truman started policy of confronting USSR, ideologically • Re-organized military services • Created CIA • Created National Security Council Marshall Plan recipients; red bar Shows relative total aid per state

  8. Truman: Domestic Transition • Goals of administration for postwar America • Make transition from wartime to a prosperous peace time economy • Resume and extend New Deal social programs • Fear: returning vets would cause spike in unemployment, like after WWI

  9. Truman: Domestic Transition • “G. I. Bill of Rights” (1944) would aid GIs’ return to civilian life • Education (free college education – 51% of vets) • Housing (100% loans for homes) • Business (loans to start) • Farm (100% loans to buy farms) • 1 year unemployment comp

  10. Truman: Domestic Transition • Employment Act of 1946 • Gov’t effort to control economy of US • Goals • Promote maximum employment • Promote maximum production • Promote maximum purchasing power • Created Council of Economic Advisors • Advise, assist President in forming economic policy • Created Joint Economic Committee: joint congressional committee to study, plan policies

  11. Resurgent GOP • Post war problems in US • Inflation increasing • Labor unrest • Wartime economic controls still in place • World tensions (USSR) • “Voter fatigue” • After 14 years of unified Democratic control of gov’t, people wanted change • GOP Slogan: “Had enough?” • 1946 Congressional midterm elections • +55 GOP in House, +12 in Senate • GOP in control (last in 1928)

  12. Legislative Accomplishments of the “Do Nothing” Congress • Congressional approval of the 22nd Amendment (President limited to 2 terms) • Taft-Hartley Act • Allowed states to adopt “right to work” rules • Drove communists out of labor movement • Adjusted balance of NLRA between business, labor • Unions HATED it!!! • Ended wage, price controls (but NOT rent controls) • Passed major tax cut

  13. Truman & Civil Rights • Commission to study issue – 1947 report • Create Civil Rights Commission • Punish lynching • Abolish poll tax • Create fair employment commission • Blasted by Southern Democrats as DOA • Truman 1948 Exec Orders • Desegregated federal work force • Desegregated military

  14. 1948 Election • Truman ran on promise of a “Fair Deal” • National health insurance • Repeal of Taft-Hartley • Aggressive civil rights laws • GOP : Thomas Dewey • Controlled Eastern GOP machine • “Dixiecrats”: Strom Thurmond • Continue racial segregation • “Progressives”: Henry Wallace • FDR’s VP, from 1941-45 • Called for closer relations with USSR • Universal health care

  15. 1948 Election • Three way split in Democratic party! • GOP unified, in control of Congress = very confident • Result? Results Truman: 303 ECV / 24.1 million Dewey: 189 ECV / 22 million Thurmond: 39 ECV / 1.1 million Dems regained control of Congress!!

  16. Truman’s Second Term • Dominated by foreign affairs, due to containment doctrine • Berlin Airlift • Formation of NATO, 1949 • Founding of People’s Republic of China, 1949 • Soviet espionage and the A-bomb • Korean War • Support for French in Vietnam

More Related