Harry Truman
Became president upon Franklin Roosevelt's death and made the decision to use atomic weapons against Japan, later overseeing the early Cold War policies of containment
Thrust suddenly into the presidency with barely any briefing on the atomic bomb project underway, this vice president had to make one of history's most consequential decisions within just months of taking office.
An Unexpected Presidency
Truman became president upon Franklin D. Roosevelt's death in April 1945, having served as vice president for less than three months and with limited prior briefing on major wartime decisions.
The Decision to Use Atomic Weapons
Truman made the consequential decision to use atomic weapons against Japan, ending World War II but also introducing humanity to the nuclear age.
The Truman Doctrine
Truman established the Truman Doctrine, committing the United States to supporting countries resisting communist expansion, a foundational policy of early Cold War containment strategy.
Desegregating the Military
Truman ordered the desegregation of the U.S. military in 1948, a significant step toward civil rights reform that preceded the broader civil rights movement by years.
