Harry Truman Ww2 Definition

Harry Truman WWII: Definition, Role, and Legacy

Introduction:

Stepping into the tumultuous landscape of World War II, one name stands out amidst the tide of global conflict: Harry S. Truman. Far from a peripheral figure, Truman's ascension to the presidency in 1945 dramatically shaped the war's conclusion and its immediate aftermath. This comprehensive guide delves into the crucial role Harry Truman played in World War II, offering a detailed definition of his involvement, examining his key decisions, and assessing their lasting impact on the world. We'll explore his leadership during the final months of the war in Europe, his pivotal decision regarding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and his crucial contributions to the formation of the post-war world order. Prepare for a deep dive into a pivotal era of history and the man who steered the course of the United States through its most critical juncture.

1. Harry Truman: From Senator to Commander-in-Chief

Before assuming the presidency, Harry Truman served as a senator from Missouri. While not a prominent figure in pre-war politics, his appointment as Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt placed him on a trajectory that would irrevocably alter the course of history. His background, marked by a strong sense of duty and a practical approach to governance, shaped his leadership during the war's final stages. Truman’s lack of direct involvement in the early war decisions meant he approached the complexities of the conflict with a fresh perspective, albeit one informed by Roosevelt’s established policies. Understanding this relatively unassuming background is crucial to understanding his subsequent decisions.

2. Truman's Inheritence: The Final Stages of WWII in Europe

Truman inherited the presidency following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1945. The war in Europe was nearing its conclusion, but the final push required astute leadership and strategic planning. Truman, working closely with his military advisors, oversaw the final Allied offensive, which culminated in the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945. While Roosevelt had laid the groundwork for the Allied victory, it was Truman who ultimately guided the nation through this crucial period, solidifying the end of the European theater. His leadership during this time, while relatively short, demonstrated his capacity to navigate complex political and military situations with decisiveness.

3. The Atomic Bombings: A Defining Moment in History

Perhaps Truman's most controversial decision, and the one that most defines his legacy concerning World War II, was the authorization of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The rationale behind this decision remains fiercely debated, with arguments ranging from military necessity to the potential for saving American lives in a protracted invasion of Japan. Truman's justification centered on bringing a swift end to the war and minimizing further casualties on both sides. Examining the historical context, including the brutality of the Japanese war effort and the escalating cost of conventional warfare, is vital to understanding the complexities surrounding this decision. The ethical implications, however, continue to be a subject of intense scholarly and public discussion.

4. Post-War Diplomacy and the Cold War's Dawn

With the surrender of Japan, the world entered a new era. Truman played a significant role in shaping the post-war world order, actively participating in the formation of the United Nations. However, the euphoria of victory was quickly overshadowed by the emergence of the Cold War. Truman's confrontation with the Soviet Union, marked by the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, defined the early years of this ideological struggle. His unwavering commitment to containing Soviet expansionism set the stage for decades of geopolitical tension. Understanding his role in establishing the framework for the Cold War is paramount to understanding the geopolitical landscape we inhabit today.

5. Truman's Legacy: A Complex and Contested Narrative

Harry Truman's legacy regarding World War II is complex and multifaceted. He is lauded for his leadership in bringing the war to a swift conclusion in Europe and for his role in the establishment of the United Nations. However, his decision to use atomic bombs remains a highly controversial aspect of his presidency, sparking continuous debate about its ethical implications and long-term consequences. His role in initiating the Cold War also shapes perceptions of his leadership. Evaluating his legacy requires a nuanced understanding of his actions within the context of the time, while still acknowledging the far-reaching impacts of his decisions.

Article Outline: Harry Truman and World War II

Introduction: Briefly introducing Harry Truman and his significance in WWII.
Chapter 1: Truman's Rise to Power: Examining his background and ascension to the presidency.
Chapter 2: The European Theater's Conclusion: Detailing his role in the final stages of the war in Europe.
Chapter 3: The Atomic Bombings: Analyzing the decision to use atomic weapons and its justification.
Chapter 4: Post-War Diplomacy and the Cold War: Exploring his role in shaping the post-war world and the beginnings of the Cold War.
Chapter 5: A Lasting Legacy: Assessing Truman's lasting impact on the world and the ongoing debates surrounding his actions.
Conclusion: Summarizing Truman's significance in World War II and its lasting impact.


(Detailed content for each chapter is provided above in the main body of the article.)


FAQs

1. Why was Harry Truman chosen as Vice President? Roosevelt strategically selected Truman, a relatively unassuming senator, to balance the ticket and appeal to a broader base of voters.

2. What was Truman's primary role in the war's final stages in Europe? He oversaw the final Allied offensive and accepted Germany's unconditional surrender.

3. What were the arguments for and against using atomic bombs? Arguments for the bombing centered on saving American lives and ending the war quickly; arguments against emphasize the immense civilian casualties and the long-term ethical implications.

4. How did Truman's decisions shape the post-war world? His decisions contributed significantly to the formation of the United Nations and set the stage for the Cold War.

5. What was the Truman Doctrine? A policy of containing Soviet communism through military and economic aid to threatened countries.

6. What was the Marshall Plan? A massive economic aid program to rebuild war-torn Europe and counter Soviet influence.

7. How did public opinion respond to the atomic bombings? Public opinion was initially supportive, but has since become more divided, with ongoing ethical debate.

8. What were the long-term consequences of the atomic bombings? The bombings led to immense human suffering, environmental damage, and the nuclear arms race.

9. How is Truman's legacy viewed today? Truman's legacy is complex, with some praising his decisive leadership and others criticizing his controversial decisions.


Related Articles:

1. The Potsdam Conference and the Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb: Discusses the context of the decision to use atomic weapons.
2. The Manhattan Project: Development of the Atomic Bomb: Explores the scientific and technological aspects of the bomb's creation.
3. The Aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Details the immediate and long-term effects of the atomic bombings.
4. The Origins of the Cold War: Truman's Role: Focuses on Truman's contributions to the emergence of the Cold War.
5. The Truman Doctrine and Containment: Explains the policy of containing communism.
6. The Marshall Plan and European Reconstruction: Examines the economic impact of the Marshall Plan.
7. The Yalta Conference and Post-War Division of Europe: Details the decisions made at this crucial wartime summit.
8. The Korean War and Truman's Foreign Policy: Explores Truman's intervention in the Korean War.
9. Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Continuation of the Cold War: Shows how Truman's policies influenced his successor's actions.


  harry truman ww2 definition: Eleanor and Harry Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, 2002 This collection of the never-before-seen correspondence of Harry S. Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt sheds important light on the relationship between two giants of 20th century American history. 20 photos.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Unconditional Marc Gallicchio, 2020-07-02 A new look at the drama that lay behind the end of the war in the Pacific Signed on September 2, 1945 aboard the American battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay by Japanese and Allied leaders, the instrument of surrender that formally ended the war in the Pacific brought to a close one of the most cataclysmic engagements in history. Behind it lay a debate that had been raging for some weeks prior among American military and political leaders. The surrender fulfilled the commitment that Franklin Roosevelt had made in 1943 at the Casablanca conference that it be unconditional. Though readily accepted as policy at the time, after Roosevelt's death in April 1945 support for unconditional surrender wavered, particularly among Republicans in Congress, when the bloody campaigns on Iwo Jima and Okinawa made clear the cost of military victory against Japan. Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945 had been one thing; the war in the pacific was another. Many conservatives favored a negotiated surrender. Though this was the last time American forces would impose surrender unconditionally, questions surrounding it continued through the 1950s and 1960s--with the Korean and Vietnam Wars--when liberal and conservative views reversed, including over the definition of peace with honor. The subject was revived during the ceremonies surrounding the 50th anniversary in 1995, and the Gulf and Iraq Wars, when the subjects of exit strategies and accomplished missions were debated. Marc Gallicchio reveals how and why the surrender in Tokyo Bay unfolded as it did and the principle figures behind it, including George C. Marshall and Douglas MacArthur. The latter would effectively become the leader of Japan and his tenure, and indeed the very nature of the American occupation, was shaped by the nature of the surrender. Most importantly, Gallicchio reveals how the policy of unconditional surrender has shaped our memory and our understanding of World War II.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Encyclopaedia Britannica Hugh Chisholm, 1910 This eleventh edition was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time and it is considered to be a landmark encyclopaedia for scholarship and literary style.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Potsdam Michael Neiberg, 2015-05-05 The definitive account of the 1945 Potsdam Conference: the historic summit where Truman, Stalin, and Churchill met to determine the fate of post-World War II Europe After Germany's defeat in World War II, Europe lay in tatters. Millions of refugees were dispersed across the continent. Food and fuel were scarce. Britain was bankrupt, while Germany had been reduced to rubble. In July of 1945, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin gathered in a quiet suburb of Berlin to negotiate a lasting peace: a peace that would finally put an end to the conflagration that had started in 1914, a peace under which Europe could be rebuilt. The award-winning historian Michael Neiberg brings the turbulent Potsdam conference to life, vividly capturing the delegates' personalities: Truman, trying to escape from the shadow of Franklin Roosevelt, who had died only months before; Churchill, bombastic and seemingly out of touch; Stalin, cunning and meticulous. For the first week, negotiations progressed relatively smoothly. But when the delegates took a recess for the British elections, Churchill was replaced-both as prime minster and as Britain's representative at the conference-in an unforeseen upset by Clement Attlee, a man Churchill disparagingly described as a sheep in sheep's clothing. When the conference reconvened, the power dynamic had shifted dramatically, and the delegates struggled to find a new balance. Stalin took advantage of his strong position to demand control of Eastern Europe as recompense for the suffering experienced by the Soviet people and armies. The final resolutions of the Potsdam Conference, notably the division of Germany and the Soviet annexation of Poland, reflected the uneasy geopolitical equilibrium between East and West that would come to dominate the twentieth century. As Neiberg expertly shows, the delegates arrived at Potsdam determined to learn from the mistakes their predecessors made in the Treaty of Versailles. But, riven by tensions and dramatic debates over how to end the most recent war, they only dimly understood that their discussions of peace were giving birth to a new global conflict.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Dear Bess Harry S. Truman, 1998 This correspondence, which encompasses Truman's courtship of his wife, his service in the senate, his presidency, and after, reveals not only the character of Truman's mind but also a shrewd observer's view of American politics.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II Herbert Feis, 2015-03-08 This book discusses the decision to use the atomic bomb. Libraries and scholars will find it a necessary adjunct to their other studies by Pulitzer-Prize author Herbert Feis on World War II. Originally published in 1966. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Truman Speaks Harry S. Truman, 1960 Lectures and discussions held at Columbia University on April 27, 28, and 29, 1959.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Age of Eisenhower William I Hitchcock, 2018-03-20 A New York Times bestseller, this is the “outstanding” (The Atlantic), insightful, and authoritative account of Dwight Eisenhower’s presidency. Drawing on newly declassified documents and thousands of pages of unpublished material, The Age of Eisenhower tells the story of a masterful president guiding the nation through the great crises of the 1950s, from McCarthyism and the Korean War through civil rights turmoil and Cold War conflicts. This is a portrait of a skilled leader who, despite his conservative inclinations, found a middle path through the bitter partisanship of his era. At home, Eisenhower affirmed the central elements of the New Deal, such as Social Security; fought the demagoguery of Senator Joseph McCarthy; and advanced the agenda of civil rights for African-Americans. Abroad, he ended the Korean War and avoided a new quagmire in Vietnam. Yet he also charted a significant expansion of America’s missile technology and deployed a vast array of covert operations around the world to confront the challenge of communism. As he left office, he cautioned Americans to remain alert to the dangers of a powerful military-industrial complex that could threaten their liberties. Today, presidential historians rank Eisenhower fifth on the list of great presidents, and William Hitchcock’s “rich narrative” (The Wall Street Journal) shows us why Ike’s stock has risen so high. He was a gifted leader, a decent man of humble origins who used his powers to advance the welfare of all Americans. Now more than ever, with this “complete and persuasive assessment” (Booklist, starred review), Americans have much to learn from Dwight Eisenhower.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Prompt and Utter Destruction J. Samuel Walker, 2016
  harry truman ww2 definition: Sovereignty & the Responsibility to Protect Luke Glanville, 2013-12-20 In 2011, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, authorizing its member states to take measures to protect Libyan civilians from Muammar Gadhafi’s forces. In invoking the “responsibility to protect,” the resolution draws on the principle that sovereign states are responsible and accountable to the international community for the protection of their populations and that the international community can act to protect populations when national authorities fail to do so. The idea that sovereignty includes the responsibility to protect is often seen as a departure from the classic definition, but it actually has deep historical roots. In Sovereignty and the Responsibility to Protect, Luke Glanville argues that this responsibility extends back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and that states have since been accountable for this responsibility to God, the people, and the international community. Over time, the right to national self-governance came to take priority over the protection of individual liberties, but the noninterventionist understanding of sovereignty was only firmly established in the twentieth century, and it remained for only a few decades before it was challenged by renewed claims that sovereigns are responsible for protection. Glanville traces the relationship between sovereignty and responsibility from the early modern period to the present day, and offers a new history with profound implications for the present.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Grand Strategy and Military Alliances Peter R. Mansoor, Williamson Murray, 2016-02-09 A broad-ranging study of the relationship between alliances and the conduct of grand strategy, examined through historical case studies.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Second World War Antony Beevor, 2012-06-05 A masterful and comprehensive chronicle of World War II, by internationally bestselling historian Antony Beevor. Over the past two decades, Antony Beevor has established himself as one of the world's premier historians of WWII. His multi-award winning books have included Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin 1945. Now, in his newest and most ambitious book, he turns his focus to one of the bloodiest and most tragic events of the twentieth century, the Second World War. In this searing narrative that takes us from Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 to V-J day on August 14, 1945 and the war's aftermath, Beevor describes the conflict and its global reach -- one that included every major power. The result is a dramatic and breathtaking single-volume history that provides a remarkably intimate account of the war that, more than any other, still commands attention and an audience. Thrillingly written and brilliantly researched, Beevor's grand and provocative account is destined to become the definitive work on this complex, tragic, and endlessly fascinating period in world history, and confirms once more that he is a military historian of the first rank.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Off the Record Harry S. Truman, 1997 Gathered for the first time, Truman's private papers--diaries, letters, and memoranda--cover the period from his occupancy of the White House in 1945 to shortly before his death in 1972. Students and scholars will find valuable material on major events of the Truman years, from the Potsdam Conference to the Korean War.--Publishers website.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Harry S. Truman , 1997
  harry truman ww2 definition: The National Security Council Henry Kissinger, 1970
  harry truman ww2 definition: Racing the Enemy Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, 2006-09-30 With startling revelations, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa rewrites the standard history of the end of World War II in the Pacific. By fully integrating the three key actors in the story—the United States, the Soviet Union, and Japan—Hasegawa for the first time puts the last months of the war into international perspective. From April 1945, when Stalin broke the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and Harry Truman assumed the presidency, to the final Soviet military actions against Japan, Hasegawa brings to light the real reasons Japan surrendered. From Washington to Moscow to Tokyo and back again, he shows us a high-stakes diplomatic game as Truman and Stalin sought to outmaneuver each other in forcing Japan’s surrender; as Stalin dangled mediation offers to Japan while secretly preparing to fight in the Pacific; as Tokyo peace advocates desperately tried to stave off a war party determined to mount a last-ditch defense; and as the Americans struggled to balance their competing interests of ending the war with Japan and preventing the Soviets from expanding into the Pacific. Authoritative and engrossing, Racing the Enemy puts the final days of World War II into a whole new light.
  harry truman ww2 definition: History of the Unified Command Plan Edward J. Drea, 2013
  harry truman ww2 definition: As It Happened Clement R. Attlee, 2022-08-16 DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of As It Happened by Clement R. Attlee. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Cold War at Home Philip Jenkins, 1999 One of the most significant industrial states in the country, with a powerful radical tradition, Pennsylvania was, by the early 1950s, the scene of some of the fiercest anti-Communist activism in the United States. Philip Jenkins examines the political an
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Grand Alliance Winston S. Churchill, 2010-06-30 The British, Soviets, and Americans unite in this chapter of the six-volume WWII history by the legendary prime minister and Nobel Prize recipient. The Grand Alliance describes the end of an extraordinary period in British military history, in which Britain stood alone against Germany. Two crucial events brought an end to Britain’s isolation. First was Hitler’s decision to attack the Soviet Union, opening up a battle front in the East and forcing Stalin to look to the British for support. The second was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. US support had long been crucial to the British war effort, and here, Winston Churchill documents his efforts to draw the Americans to aid, including correspondence with President Roosevelt. This book is part of the six-volume account of World War II told from the unique viewpoint of a British prime minister who led his nation in the fight against tyranny. In addition to the correspondence with FDR, the series is enriched with extensive primary sources. We are presented with not only Churchill’s retrospective analysis of the war, but also memos, letters, orders, speeches, and telegrams, day-by-day accounts of reactions as the drama intensifies. Throughout these volumes, we listen as strategies and counterstrategies unfold in response to Hitler’s conquest of Europe, planned invasion of England, and assault on Russia, in a mesmerizing account of the crucial decisions made as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. “A masterly piece of historical writing . . . complete with humor and wit.” —The New Yorker
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Marshall Plan Benn Steil, 2018 Traces the history of the Marshall Plan and the efforts to reconstruct western Europe as a bulwark against communist authoritarianism during a two-year period that saw the collapse of postwar U.S.-Soviet relations and the beginning of the Cold War.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The General vs. the President H. W. Brands, 2017-10-03 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, bestselling historian, and author of Our First Civil War comes the riveting story of how President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur squared off to decide America's future in the aftermath of World War II. A highly readable take on the clash of two titanic figures in a period of hair-trigger nuclear tensions.... History offers few antagonists with such dramatic contrasts, and Brands brings these two to life. —Los Angeles Times At the height of the Korean War, President Harry S. Truman committed a gaffe that sent shock waves around the world, when he suggested that General Douglas MacArthur, the willful, fearless, and highly decorated commander of the American and U.N. forces, had his finger on the nuclear trigger. At a time when the Soviets, too, had the bomb, the specter of a catastrophic third World War lurked menacingly close on the horizon. A correction quickly followed, but the damage was done; two visions for America’s path forward were clearly in opposition, and one man would have to make way. The contest of wills between these two titanic characters unfolds against the turbulent backdrop of a faraway war and terrors conjured at home by Joseph McCarthy. From the drama of Stalin’s blockade of West Berlin to the daring landing of MacArthur’s forces at Inchon to the shocking entrance of China into the war, The General and the President vividly evokes the making of a new American era.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Civil Rights Legacy of Harry S. Truman Raymond H. Geselbracht, 2007 Based in part on the Second Truman Legacy Symposium, Harry Truman and civil rights, 14-15 May 2004, Key West, Florida.--P. [ii].
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Cambridge History of the Cold War Melvyn P. Leffler, Odd Arne Westad, 2010-03-25 This volume examines the origins and early years of the Cold War in the first comprehensive historical reexamination of the period. A team of leading scholars shows how the conflict evolved from the geopolitical, ideological, economic and sociopolitical environments of the two world wars and interwar period.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Man of the People Alonzo L. Hamby, 1995 Biography of the US President.
  harry truman ww2 definition: FDR Jean Edward Smith, 2008-05-13 NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A model presidential biography... Now, at last, we have a biography that is right for the man - Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World One of today’s premier biographers has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In this superlative volume, Jean Edward Smith combines contemporary scholarship and a broad range of primary source material to provide an engrossing narrative of one of America’s greatest presidents. This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt’ s restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life. Smith recounts FDR’s battles with polio and physical disability, and how these experiences helped forge the resolve that FDR used to surmount the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and the wartime threat of totalitarianism. Here also is FDR’s private life depicted with unprecedented candor and nuance, with close attention paid to the four women who molded his personality and helped to inform his worldview: His mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, formidable yet ever supportive and tender; his wife, Eleanor, whose counsel and affection were instrumental to FDR’s public and individual achievements; Lucy Mercer, the great romantic love of FDR’s life; and Missy LeHand, FDR’s longtime secretary, companion, and confidante, whose adoration of her boss was practically limitless. Smith also tackles head-on and in-depth the numerous failures and miscues of Roosevelt’ s public career, including his disastrous attempt to reconstruct the Judiciary; the shameful internment of Japanese-Americans; and Roosevelt’s occasionally self-defeating Executive overreach. Additionally, Smith offers a sensitive and balanced assessment of Roosevelt’s response to the Holocaust, noting its breakthroughs and shortcomings. Summing up Roosevelt’s legacy, Jean Smith declares that FDR, more than any other individual, changed the relationship between the American people and their government. It was Roosevelt who revolutionized the art of campaigning and used the burgeoning mass media to garner public support and allay fears. But more important, Smith gives us the clearest picture yet of how this quintessential Knickerbocker aristocrat, a man who never had to depend on a paycheck, became the common man’s president. The result is a powerful account that adds fresh perspectives and draws profound conclusions about a man whose story is widely known but far less well understood. Written for the general reader and scholars alike, FDR is a stunning biography in every way worthy of its subject.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb Dennis D. Wainstock, 2011 A clear and concise narrative of all the key elements of President Truman's most controversial decision leading to Japan's surrender.
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Harry S. Truman Encyclopedia Richard Stewart Kirkendall, 1989 The second volume in Hall's Presidential enclyclopedia series, this reference contains more than 300 biographical and topical articles by eminent historians, political scientists and economists on every aspect of Harry S. Truman's life and times.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Roosevelt's Lost Alliances Frank Costigliola, 2013-02-24 This study brings to light key overlooked documents, such as the Yalta diary of Roosevelt's daughter Anna; the intimate letters of Roosevelt's de facto chief of staff, Missy LeHand; and the wiretap transcripts of estranged advisor Harry Hopkins. The book lays out a new approach to foreign relations history.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Thank God for the Atom Bomb, and Other Essays Paul Fussell, 1990 This is not a book to promote tranquility, and readers in quest of peace of mind should look elsewhere, writes Paul Fussell in the foreword to this original, sharp, tart, and thoroughly engaging work. The celebrated author focuses his lethal wit on habitual euphemizers, artistically pretentious third-rate novelists, sexual puritans, and the Disneyfiers of life. He moves from the inflammatory title piece on the morality of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima to a hilarious disquisition on the naturist movement, to essays on the meaning of the Indy 500 race, on George Orwell, and on the shift in men's chivalric impulses toward their mothers. Fussell's frighteningly acute eye for the manners, mores, and cultural tastes of Americans (The New York Times Book Review) is abundantly evident in this entertaining dissection of the enemies of truth, beauty, and justice
  harry truman ww2 definition: Freedom Flyers J. Todd Moye, 2010-04-14 As the country's first African American military pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen fought in World War II on two fronts: against the Axis powers in the skies over Europe and against Jim Crow racism and segregation at home. Although the pilots flew more than 15,000 sorties and destroyed more than 200 German aircraft, their most far-reaching achievement defies quantification: delivering a powerful blow to racial inequality and discrimination in American life. In this inspiring account of the Tuskegee Airmen, historian J. Todd Moye captures the challenges and triumphs of these brave pilots in their own words, drawing on more than 800 interviews recorded for the National Park Service's Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project. Denied the right to fully participate in the U.S. war effort alongside whites at the beginning of World War II, African Americans--spurred on by black newspapers and civil rights organizations such as the NAACP--compelled the prestigious Army Air Corps to open its training programs to black pilots, despite the objections of its top generals. Thousands of young men came from every part of the country to Tuskegee, Alabama, in the heart of the segregated South, to enter the program, which expanded in 1943 to train multi-engine bomber pilots in addition to fighter pilots. By the end of the war, Tuskegee Airfield had become a small city populated by black mechanics, parachute packers, doctors, and nurses. Together, they helped prove that racial segregation of the fighting forces was so inefficient as to be counterproductive to the nation's defense. Freedom Flyers brings to life the legacy of a determined, visionary cadre of African American airmen who proved their capabilities and patriotism beyond question, transformed the armed forces--formerly the nation's most racially polarized institution--and jump-started the modern struggle for racial equality.
  harry truman ww2 definition: D-Day Invasion iMinds, 2014-05-14 The story behind D-Day begins in 1939 when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, attacked Poland and ignited World War Two. The following year, the Germans occupied France and Western Europe and launched a vicious air war against Britain. In 1941, they invaded the Soviet Union. Seemingly unstoppable, the Nazis now held virtually all of Europe. They imposed a ruthless system of control and unleashed the horror of the Holocaust. However, by 1943, the tide had begun to turn in favor of the Allies, the forces opposed to Germany. In the east, despite huge losses, the Soviets began to force the Germans back.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Choices Under Fire Michael Bess, 2009-03-12 World War II was the quintessential “good war.” It was not, however, a conflict free of moral ambiguity, painful dilemmas, and unavoidable compromises. Was the bombing of civilian populations in Germany and Japan justified? Were the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes trials legally scrupulous? What is the legacy bequeathed to the world by Hiroshima? With wisdom and clarity, Michael Bess brings a fresh eye to these difficult questions and others, arguing eloquently against the binaries of honor and dishonor, pride and shame, and points instead toward a nuanced reckoning with one of the most pivotal conflicts in human history.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Hiroshima John Hersey, 2020-06-23 Hiroshima is the story of six people—a clerk, a widowed seamstress, a physician, a Methodist minister, a young surgeon, and a German Catholic priest—who lived through the greatest single manmade disaster in history. In vivid and indelible prose, Pulitzer Prize–winner John Hersey traces the stories of these half-dozen individuals from 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, when Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city, through the hours and days that followed. Almost four decades after the original publication of this celebrated book, Hersey went back to Hiroshima in search of the people whose stories he had told, and his account of what he discovered is now the eloquent and moving final chapter of Hiroshima.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Roosevelt and Churchill Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harold D. Loewenheim, 1975
  harry truman ww2 definition: Dark Sun Richard Rhodes, 2012-09-18 Here, for the first time, in a brilliant, panoramic portrait by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, is the definitive, often shocking story of the politics and the science behind the development of the hydrogen bomb and the birth of the Cold War. Based on secret files in the United States and the former Soviet Union, this monumental work of history discloses how and why the United States decided to create the bomb that would dominate world politics for more than forty years.
  harry truman ww2 definition: A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles: A-Lincolnism Mitford McLeod Mathews, 1951
  harry truman ww2 definition: The Autobiography of Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman, 2002 Originally published: Boulder, Colo.: Colorado Associated University Press, 1980.
  harry truman ww2 definition: A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn, 2003-02-04 Since its original landmark publication in 1980, A People's History of the United States has been chronicling American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official version of history taught in schools -- with its emphasis on great men in high places -- to focus on the street, the home, and the, workplace. Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As historian Howard Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles -- the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality -- were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States, which was nominated for the American Book Award in 1981, features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. Revised, updated, and featuring a new after, word by the author, this special twentieth anniversary edition continues Zinn's important contribution to a complete and balanced understanding of American history.
  harry truman ww2 definition: Hell to Pay D. M. Giangreco, 2017 Two years before the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki helped bring a quick end to hostilities in the summer of 1945, U.S. planners began work on Operation Downfall, codename for the Allied invasions of Kyushu and Honshu, in the Japanese home islands. While other books have examined Operation Downfall, D. M. Giangreco offers the most complete and exhaustively researched consideration of the plans and their implications. He explores related issues of the first operational use of the atomic bomb and the Soviet Union's entry into the war, including the controversy surrounding estimates of potential U.S. casualties. Following years of intense research at numerous archives, Giangreco now paints a convincing and horrific picture of the veritable hell that awaited invader and defender. In the process, he demolishes the myths that Japan was trying to surrender during the summer of 1945 and that U.S. officials later wildly exaggerated casualty figures to justify using the atomic bombs to influence the Soviet Union. As Giangreco writes, Both sides were rushing headlong toward a disastrous confrontation in the Home Islands in which poison gas and atomic weapons were to be employed as MacArthur's intelligence chief, Charles Willoughby, succinctly put it, 'a hard and bitter struggle with no quarter asked or given.' Hell to Pay examines the invasion of Japan in light of the large body of Japanese and American operational and tactical planning documents the author unearthed in familiar and obscure archives. It includes postwar interrogations and reports that senior Japanese commanders and their staffs were ordered to produce for General MacArthur's headquarters. This groundbreaking history counters the revisionist interpretations questioning the rationale for the use of the atomic bomb and shows that President Truman's decision was based on real estimates of the enormous human cost of a conventional invasion. This revised edition of Hell to Pay expands on several areas covered in the previous book and deals with three new topics: U.S.-Soviet cooperation in the war against Imperial Japan; U.S., Soviet, and Japanese plans for the invasion and defense of the northernmost Home Island of Hokkaido; and Operation Blacklist, the three-phase insertion of American occupation forces into Japan. It also contains additional text, relevant archival material, supplemental photos, and new maps, making this the definitive edition of an important historical work.