About the lecture

In this module, we think about Truman’s life and career from his humble beginnings in Missouri to his accession to the Presidency on 12 April 1945 and his highly controversial decision, less than six months later, to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In particular, we focus on: (i) Truman’s early life and political career, from his election as County Court Judge in 1924 to his selection as Franklin Roosevelt’s running-mate for the 1944 presidential election; (ii) the circumstances surrounding Roosevelt’s death, Truman’s accession to the Presidency, and the difficulties faced by Truman in succeeding one of the greatest Presidents in American history; (iii) Truman’s approach to the Soviets, especially his meeting with Vyacheslav Molotov in April 1945; and (iv) the reasons why Truman decided to drop the atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945.

About the lecturer

Mark White is Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London, specialising in US foreign policy in the Cold War and the US presidency since 1945. His recent publications include Against the President: Dissent and Decision-Making in the White House (2007) and The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy (2012)