Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman became the 33rd US President on 12 April 1945, just weeks before Germany's surrender, inheriting a war he had not planned, a bomb project he was barely aware of, and a set of half-formed Yalta agreements with Stalin whose implications were becoming clear. A Missouri senator with a reputation for corruption-busting and direct speech, he was remarkably ill-prepared for the presidency but proved resilient and decisive. He authorised the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, ending the Pacific War; he attended the Potsdam Conference where the contours of the Cold War solidified; and his 'Truman Doctrine' (1947) committed the United States to resisting Soviet expansion — the founding statement of Cold War American strategy. His decision to use the atomic bomb remains the most debated single decision in the history of warfare.
- Lived: 1884 CE – 1972 CE
- Nationality: American
- Roles: president, commander-in-chief
