4th Class- Essay Domestic Policies of Truman

Essay: Given the international situation between 1945- 1949, to what extent did Truman domestic policies respond to the new dynamics of the Cold War?

With the death of US president Roosevelt, on April 12, 1945 Vice President Harry Truman took office. WWII was just ending with the defeat of Germany and a Japan without opportunities to recover in the war. Truman was now going to face a new period, in which the main international goal would be, restore peace between countries and establish a series of treaties and laws in order to avoid another war of this magnitude. In the same way, apart from managing the US role in postwar international relations, Truman had also to lay down domestic policies, not only to reorganize USA after the war, but to prepare it for the dynamics of  a this new conflict that saw coming, the Cold War.

It was going to be a difficult task for Truman to supervise the Americans economy transition from the war- time to a peace- time footing. US had to convert war production into peace production, and it was not ready for this reconversion. Truman started to make economical changes quickly as a respond to the dynamics of the new conflicto that saw coming, the Cold war. The military was rapidly demobilised from a wartime peak of 14 million to half a million, in just two years. Futhermore, US industries began to be more concern about production of automobiles and appliances, instead of tanks or any kind of weapons. Despite inflation, US economy was expanding very fast, real wages and disposable income grew and as a result unemployment rate fell dramatically.

In order to continue with the ideas proposed in the ‘New Deal’ of Franklin Roosevelt, Truman decided to implement the ‘Fair Deal’. The ‘Fair Deal’ was the name given to Truman’s domestic 21-point program, which included terms steted in Roosevelts program, pro- labor reforms, economic controls, a minimun wage increase, expansion of ‘Social Security’ programs, housing, national health insurance, and education. Truman believed  that the federal government should guarantee economic opportunity and stability, principals with which he struggle to achieve, as they had a political opposition from legislators, who were determined to reduce government power. Influenced by the Cold War, that exerted more and more influence over nation’s psyche, US government who was in favor of capitalism, created a frenzy of anti- communist paranoia and fear that was a threat to the US constitution.

In addition to this, in order to prevent communist expansion to USA, the House Committe on Un- American Activities (HUAC) met in the Congressional Senate chambers. The HUAC was incharge of investigating allegations against private citizens, public employees or organizations suspected of being communist. Truman’s government was characterized to have an opposition of Senator McCarthy, leader of the anti- communist movement, so it wasn’t surprise that he would also give attacks and accusations to the HUAC.

The Cold war and foreign affairs dominated Truman’s time and energy and domestic matters were given less priority. However, the majority of the domestic policies established were influenced or in respond to the international situation between 1945- 1949. Truman had to lay down domestic policies, not only to reorganize USA after the war, but to face the dynamics of the Cold War.

“We must build a new world, a far better world – one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected.”
– President Harry S Truman, 1945