Rowdy Brown's
diary earlier today about historians rating George W. Bush's presidency -- and given the fact that under Bush's tutelage, our country's reputation abroad has been damaged and sullied over the past three years -- inspired me to explore the following question: which of the eleven post-World War II American Presidents was the
best in terms of foreign policy initiatives and actions?
As I thought more about this issue, the answer became quite clear. No one in the post-WW II era has had greater achievements and lasting accomplishments than President Harry S Truman.
More follows...
Upon learning of Franklin Roosevelt's death on April 12, 1945, Vice President Harry Truman was urgently summoned to the White House. He offered his condolences to Eleanor Roosevelt and asked as to how he could be of personal help to her. Eleanor replied rather condescendingly, "How can
we help
you, Mr. President?" No one -- and I mean, no one -- in FDR's inner circle thought Truman was up to the job.
When Truman succeeded FDR as President, few (if any) people aroud the country thought he had the political background, maturity, and experience to be a worthy successor to the charming, urbane, politically savvy, and sophisticated FDR. Disparagingly referred to as the "Senator from Pendergast" throughout his career in the US Senate, Truman had a shaky reputation to overcome. Tom Pendergast was the boss of a corrupt political machine based in Kansas City, MO and one which had sponsored Truman's candidacy for the US Senate in 1934. Even after being selected by FDR as his running mate in 1944 to replace Vice President Henry Wallace, Truman himself had doubts whether or not he was up to the job to be President of the United States.
After almost eight years in office, when Harry Truman left the White House in January 1953, his approval ratings were below 30% or, as an unflattering comparison, below Nixonian levels. Beginning in the 1970's, historians began to re-evaluate Truman's presidency and legacy. Since then, and thanks to David McCullough's highly successful biography of Truman in 1992, he (Truman) is widely regarded now as the very best foreign policy President of the post-World War II era.
Why is Truman held in such high regard by most historians? 'Revisionist' history -- ridiculed and condemned by conservatives -- re-evaluates the performance of Presidents years after their departure and is, in my opinion, necessary for increasing our understanding and interpretation of events and personalities. It is said that all history, to some degree, is an endless argument -- an argument without an end.
The reasons
- Classified documents are declassified years, even decades after Presidents leave office, thereby allowing us to really know the intricacies and international/domestic considerations behind critical foreign policy decisions.
- Memoirs are written by high-ranking administration insiders (usually several years after they leave office), shedding light on the key personalities involved and their motivations.
- It takes a generation or two to truly gauger the effects (negative or positive) of crucial decisions made by Presidents both on the United States as well as on other countries and regions.
Harry Truman's foreign policy achievements as the 33rd President included
- Successfully ending the greatest conflict in human history, World War II, in both the European and Pacific theaters by August 1945. Employing the use of nuclear weapons to end the war in Japan, however, remains a controversial decision even to this day.
- Overseeing the creation and expansion of major international institutions towards the end of and after World War II as integral elements of the liberal world order envisioned by FDR. These institutions include the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), now the World Trade Organization (WTO). Although some of these developments were already underway towards the end of FDR's life. In recent years, the practices of these very institutions has attracted opposition from some quarters.
- Implementing the George Kennan-inspired 'Containment Policy' in 1947 under which several US Presidents (both Democratic and Republican) militarily, economically, politically, and culturally allied the United States with other countries in opposing and confronting the Soviet Union's expansionist designs (perceived or real) until 1992.
- Creating the National Security Council (NSC) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1947. Since then, some of the CIA's covert activities resulting in military coups in Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), the Congo (1961), South Vietnam (1963), and Chile (1973), led Congress to impose severe restrictions on foreign espionage in the mid-1970's.
- Organizing the successful Berlin Airlift in 1948 when the Soviet Army blocked entry into West Berlin, an action that saved thousands of lives.
- Forcing a reluctant Congress to appropriate funds for the Marshall Plan in 1948, the wildly successful economic reconstruction plan for war-devastated Western Europe. Along with FDR's Lend Lease Act of 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called it the "most unsordid acts in history."
- Recognizing the State of Israel in 1948 against the advice of his Secretary of State, General George C. Marshall, as a moral imperative when few other countries were willing to do so.
- Cajoling Western European countries to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 -- the most successful military alliance in history.
- Committing the United States in 1950 to the Korean War when Communist North Korea attacked South Korea -- a decision that heavily influenced his desire not to run for re-election in 1952. Few, if any, Republicans or Democrats criticize that decision today. More than 50 years after the conflict ended in a stalemate, 37,000 American troops remain in South Korea.
It is important to note that many of Truman's achievements came at a time while the Republicans controlled
both the US Senate and US House of Representatives from 1947-1949.
His major domestic policy successes were
- Desegregating the United States Armed forces in 1948 with one stroke of the pen.
- Sending the first Civil Rights Bill to Congress in 1948 and setting up the stage for the passage of President Lyndon Johnson's Voting Rights and Civil Rights legislation in 1964-65.
- Encouraging Congress to pass the GI Bill. This act, most historians agree, created enormous educational, housing, and employment opportunities for returning World War II military personnel and one which resulted in the fastest growth of the middle class in this country's history.
- Expanding the New Deal through his Fair Deal program, he presented to Congress "a 21-point program, proposing the expansion of Social Security, a full-employment program, a permanent Fair Employment Practices Act, and public housing and slum clearance."
A failed haberdasher from Missouri early on and always underestimated during his career, did Truman have character and personality flaws? Yes. Did he use salty, inappropriate, and perhaps racist language at times? He did. Was he a bit parochial in his approach to life? Sure. But, as his Secretary of State Dean Acheson noted once, Truman had impeccable
public character and rewarded loyalty. Intensely loyal to his own cabinet and staff -- regarded as
the most talented group of foreign policy advisors of any modern United States Administration -- he was a highly principled man, made quick decisions, and never,
ever did anything to personally enrich himself during his tenure as President.
The Presidents who followed Truman made their contributions (both positive and negative) to US foreign policy but only Truman, to borrow the title of Dean Acheson's memoirs, was "present at the creation." No wonder so many presidential candidates in this day and age want to be a little bit like "Give-em-Hell" Harry Truman.
Compared to Truman's record, what has George W. Bush achieved as President? Precious little that historians will remember -- except in the negative sense. How else can one explain that just before President Bill Clinton left office in early 2001, most of the world (even many Arab countries), had a positive 60%-80% opinion of the United States and its President. And that in a little over three years, these numbers have been dramatically reversed against the United States and, in particular, the American President. Even in Western European countries, long considered traditional allies of the United States.
One can only hope that with John Kerry's potential ascendancy to the presidency in November 2004, we might even have a President who acts not just in the selfish 'vital national interests' of this country but has a deep appreciation of our country's multilateralist foreign policy traditions and, simultaneous with that, has an understanding and respect for other peoples, cultures, and countries. And in the process, restores our country's reputation. Given the shameful and dangerous foreign policy path charted by George W. Bush over the past three years, the rest of the world demands no less.
What do you think? Rate the Presidents in terms of US foreign policy achievements and take the poll.