Harry Truman (D) - 33rd President (1945-1953)
Background
- Fought in WWII
- Was Missouri State Senator
- Became Vice President for FDR in January, 1945
- Took over for FDR when he died in April, 1945
- One of the most unpopular presidents of all time- 22% approval rating at one point
- Rating has improved greatly over the last 60 years
- Last President not to have earned a college degree
Accomplishments
- President when WWII ended with Germany and Japan
- Potsdam Conference/Declaration- (German consequences/Japan's surrender or else face destruction)
- Decided to use the Atomic bomb against Japan.
- Had to deal with transition from wartime economy to peacetime economy
- Helped organize and later join the United Nations
- Took a hard line stance against communism and the Soviet Union - Policy of Containment
- Desegregated the US military.
- Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were passed
- Created the CIA and the National Security Council
- Recognized Israel as a home place for the Jewish people
- Got the US involved in Vietnam by giving aid to France
- Berlin Airlift
- NATO established
- Chinese Civil War ends
- McCarthyism
- Korean Conflict and firing of General Douglass MacArthur
- Assassination attempt over Puerto Rican independence
The Fair Deal
- Similar to FDR's New Deal of the 1930's
- Aimed to promote economic development and social welfare
- Faced a lot of opposition from Southern Democrats and Republicans
- Most Fair Deal proposals did not get passed
- Civil Rights
- Housing
- Social Security
- Minimum Wage
- Health
- Labor
- Education
- Agriculture
1948 Election
- Truman (D) vs. Thomas Dewey (R)
- Truman came from behind to win
- Newspapers and polls all assumed Dewey would win easily
Dwight Eisenhower (R) - 34th President (1952-1961)
- Famous WWII general
- Decided to join the Republican Party after WWII
- Richard Nixon was his vice-president
- Diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and had a minor stroke while president
Elections
- Ran against Adlei Stevenson both times
- won easily both times
Accomplishments
- Dominated by the Cold War - Containment Policy
- Used CIA to do covert-ops to disrupt communist governments abroad (Iran/Guatemala)
- Opened relations with Spain
- Ended the Korean Conflict as promised in his 1952 election campaign
- Defensive alliances were signed with sough Korea and Taiwan
- Increased US involvement in Southeast Asia (Vietnam) - US advisers sent
- Developed the idea that nuclear weapons would be defensive weapons (deterrence)
- NASA created due to Soviet Sputnik launch
- US spy plane (U-2) was shot down over USSR
- Allowed McCarthy to do his thing but privately did not approve
- Eisenhower Doctrine- gave money to middle eastern countries to fight communism
Domestic Accomplishments
- Believed in laissez-faire
- Believed in a balanced budget
- Deported around 1 million illegal immigrants (Mostly Mexicans)
- Sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to help in the desegregation of all public schools- 1954- Brown vs the Board of Education of Topeka, KS case
- Helped pass the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 which created the United States' Interstate Highways
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