Documents
Letter from Harry Truman to Bess Wallace, May 5, 1918
His service in World War I was one of the formative experiences in Harry Truman’s life. His letters to his sweetheart, Bess Wallace, tell us much about the development of his character and worldview.
Citation: Letter, Harry S. Truman to Bess Wallace, May 5, 1918. Family, Business, and Personal Affairs File, Truman Papers.
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Memo from Edward Stettinius to President Truman Regarding Negotiations with the Soviets, April 23, 1945
Secretary of State Edward Stettinius attempted to ensure that Truman would be firm with the Soviets and adhere to what President Roosevelt had promised the nation his foreign policy would be.
Citation: Memo, Edward Stettinius to Harry S. Truman, April 23, 1945. President’s Secretary's File, Truman Papers.
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Letter from President Truman to former President Herbert Hoover, May 24, 1945
Truman and Hoover eventually formed a cordial relationship, and Hoover was instrumental in helping to feed Europe after the war. This letter is part of the foundation of that interesting relationship between a president and an ex-president.
Citation: Letter, Harry S. Truman to Herbert Hoover, May 24, 1945, formally inviting Hoover to the White House to meet Truman and discuss the food situation in Europe. Papers of Herbert Hoover: Post-Presidential Files―Individual.
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www.trumanlibrary.org/hoover/internaltemplate.php?tldate=1945-05-24&groupid=5101&collectionid=hoover
Draft Statement on the Dropping of the Bomb, July 30, 1945
Harry Truman did not lightly make the decision to use atomic weapons against Japan. In this draft statement, he explains this momentous decision to the American people—and the world.
Citation: Draft statement on the dropping of the bomb, July 30, 1945. President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers.
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Telegram from Josef Stalin to Harry Truman, with related material, April 6, 1946
These documents illustrate that while Stalin and Truman still had a somewhat cordial relationship, the tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States were beginning to grow stronger and more evident.
Citation: Telegram, Josef Stalin to Harry S. Truman, with related material, April 6, 1946. President's Secretary’s File, Truman Papers.
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Dean Acheson Speech on European Reconstruction, May 18, 1947
In this address, Under Secretary of State Dean Acheson laid out the ideas for what would become known as the Marshall Plan. This program was one of the most popular and successful of the Truman administration’s foreign policies.
Citation: Speech by Dean Acheson, “The Requirements of Reconstruction,” May 8, 1947, The Department of State Bulletin, Volume XVI, Number 411, pages 991–994.
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Letter to President Truman Regarding the Loyalty Program, May 22, 1947
Truman’s Loyalty Program was a politically motivated response to postwar fear of Communism, and an attempt to stop charges of Communists in the federal government. As this letter demonstrates, some Americans feared that Truman was violating civil liberties by implementing the program.
Citation: Dorothy Mardfin to Harry S. Truman, May 22, 1947. Official File, Truman Papers.
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President Truman’s Statement on Israel, March 25, 1948
In this statement, Truman attempts to explain his views on the forthcoming recognition of the state of Israel, which was a delicate situation, both domestically and internationally.
Citation: Statement by the President, March 25, 1948. Official File, Truman Papers.
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American Public Opinion on the Berlin Airlift, July 29, 1948
During Truman’s 1948 election campaign, he stressed that he had been very successful in creating a foreign policy that kept America secure. The overwhelmingly favorable response to his refusal to let American influence in Berlin wane illustrates that many Americans favored his early Cold War policies.
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Truman Diary Entry Regarding General MacArthur, April 5, 1951
Truman’s firing of General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War was not popular at the time. By this point, Truman’s approval ratings were in sharp decline. In this diary entry, Truman expresses his personal opinion on the situation.
Citation: Diary Entry of Harry S. Truman, April 5, 1951. President’s Secretary's Files, Truman Papers.
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