Origins of the Cold War, edited by Thomas Paterson, chapter: Harry S Truman as Parochial Nationalist, written by Arnold Offner - week 7::
"Who was Harry S Truman, what were his assumptions, and did his style of leadership matter? More generally, what weight do we give to a powerful individual in an explanation of postwar world conflict that also includes analysis of competing national interests and ideologies and of international systemic causes? ... Arnold A. Offner tackles such questions in a critical study of Truman as a parochial nationalist who seemed better suited to Missouri politics than to global politics." (49)This summarizes what the reading is about. I honestly didn't know that much at all about Truman before reading this. I asked my mom what she thought of Truman and she said she was very young when he was president, but her mom thought of Truman as a pretty good president. My dad said something similar. However, this writer, Arnold A. Offner, definitely didn't like Truman. After reading this I want to read some of the biographies and articles that Offner talks about briefly that say Truman was a great guy. It's hard to get a nonbiased opinion, because most everything that's easily accesible to me to read has been written by someone else, so it has gone through their own mind and then they have put it out to the world in a certain way, whether they're aware of it or not. I remember Barbara Tuchman (one of the first readings in this seminar) and how she said that she never ever used secondary sources, like books written by someone else, because like I just said, they've gone through someone else. She's always looked for the first sources, like journals, newspapers from that time period, sources like that. But at times, it's refreshing to get another perspective of things, I don't want to just believe what my parents say. So, I read this with an open mind.
"From the initial American-Soviet confrontations in Europe at the end of the Second World War through the bitter Korean War, President Harry S Truman directed American foreign policy in a manner that profoundly affected the nation's--and the world's--history." (49)
"Despite this extraordinary bipartisan consenus, analysis of Truman's background and recently available personal and governmental records reveal a darker side to his world view and foreign policy. His parochial nationalist heritage, his perceptions about American moral-industrial-military superiority, his belief that the Soviet Union and communism were the root cause of all international problems, his quick disregard of contrary views, and his propensity to exaggerate and to oversimplify, profoundly shaped his presidential policies and contributed significantly to the onset and intensification of the Cold War." (50)
"Young Harry took his nurturing from his mother, who taught him his 'letters' and inspired his book and Bible reading. Later he admonished people and nations by frequent reference to the Ten commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. But Truman derived less a system of morals or religious sense from his Biblical readings than stern belief, as he wrote in 1945, that 'punishment always followed transgression,' a maxim he would apply later to North Korea and to the People's Republic of China." (51)
his beliefs and how he put those into politics (above)
On page 53, the writer discusses how Truman joined the army and traveld to Europe and absolutely hated it..
"But parochialism shone through Captain Harry's European experience, and not just because he may have been the only soldier in history to call the Folies Bergere 'disgusting.' Truman deplored France's 'narrowly dirty streets and malodorous atmosphere,' disliked French food, insisted that Germany smelled and that the Kaiser aimed to despoil 'our great country and beautiful women.'... Truman sought only to return to 'God's country,' the land of 'Liberty loans and green trading stamps,' and never to return to Europe: 'I have nearly promised old Miss Liberty that she'll have to turn around to see me again,' he wrote upon reaching American shores in 1919." (53)
He was even going to join the KKK, but he wasn't accepted "because he refused to deny jobs to Catholics." (53)
"He was ready to leave office [he was a judge in Jackson County, Missouri]--to run a filling station and then go to 'a quiet grave.' Perhaps his lament at that time--'I am only a small duck in a very large puddle'--might apply to his presidency.
Luck struck the Missourian in 1934, however. After four Democrats refused their party's nomination, Truman became the 'Senator from Pendergast,' as some politicos derisively referred to him. Indeed, Truman was an outsider in Washington..." (53)
There's evidence on page 54 and 55 that Truman was a parochial nationalist. hated many kinds of people (middle of page 55).
posted by Cassie @ 7:02 PM
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