As an American, what is your opinion about Harry Truman?

Question

Are you really ashamed or proud of him in view of the fact that he is responsible for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Answer 1

About ten years ago I was having a conversation with my father in-law, he was in the British navy, serving in Japan. In my naivety I commented that it was disgusting and immoral to use the Atom bombs then. In retrospect and living many years after the event I can use these words easily. But he put me in my place, by informing me of the actual horror of fighting in the Pacific, the daily torrent of Kamikaze aircraft, and the absolute stubbornness of the imperial leader, whom would never had surrendered, and did not do so until after Nagasaki. Whilst it is many years after this discussion, I do feel that it would be wrong to ever use these weapons again, and has been a deterrent for their use in subsequent years. History I assume, is there for us to learn from and hopefully not to repeat. So if Trueman left a legacy, then it was a damn good one, that these bombs could bring about the destruction of 'civilised' society, and it took using them to realise this.

Answer 2

If the Allies had been forced to invade Japan, the casualty figures would have been horrendous. Truman did what he thought best, and probably saved hundreds of thousands of Allied AND JAPANESE lives in the process by preventing the invasion. Modern "historical revisionists" always seem to ignore this. What happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was awful, but probably really did save hundreds of thousands of lives. I'm neither ashamed nor proud of what he did - his deeds are not my deeds, and he lived in a different time than I did and I will not judge him based on a time that he does not live in. Also, to say that he alone is responsible for the bombings is to ignore the fact that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor - it was the Japanese militaristic way of thinking that brought ruin down on their heads, not just a decision made by one man. If Roosevelt had lived, he probably would have done the exact same thing to end the war sooner and save who knows how many lives.

Answer 3

how can you evaluate the entirety of a person's life, career, or presidency based on just one decision? the atomic bomb project began under fdr-it WAS truman who made the decision to use 'the bomb' on japan; but i am not so sure that anyone in office at the time would have made a different decision, based on the circumstances at that time. would i have? i would LIKE to think that i would have found a 'better way' to end the war; however, it is beyond dispute that the surrender of the japanese and the end of the war was due to the use of this weapon. at what cost? political and military historians will be debating that forever. the toll on the japanese people cannot be underestimated or dismissed-it was a horribly tragic experience with consequences that carry over into the present day! i would like to think that one of those consequences is that this weapon never again be used...of course, i tend to be a 'starry eyed dreamer.'
to form a proper opinion of truman, though, one must take into account a number of factors: his upbringing, education, background, and the entirety of his career. he made some very bold(for his time) decisions, such as integrating the military and sacking macarthur...and he was not particularly swayed by opinion polls, and he was certainly not afraid to make up his mind or to speak his mind-all in all, i think he served the nation well

Answer 4

Harry Truman not only ended World War II, he also won the Cold War. The policies and strategies initiated in his administration were continued and never deviated from by every succeeding president until the collapse of the USSR.

On domestic policy, he was also the first president to take official action on racial integration when he integrated the armed forces.

He should be considered one of the greatest presidents.

Answer 5

If I'm fighting someone, I want to end the fight as quickly as possible. If I have superior technique, I will employ it. If my opponent insists on continuing to fight me, he will be injured. I'm not in a position to feel regret for somebody who broke his arm because he wouldn't submit to my wristlock.

I'm sincerely heartsick for the innocents who died in the heat, the blast, and the black rain, but something had to shock the Japanese leadership into surrendering so that the war wouldn't cost many thousands more deaths than both bombs combined.

So: I don't have much of an opinion about Truman one way or the other, but I don't think I'm in any position to judge the decision he made to unleash nuclear war for the first time in history.

Answer 6

ill.Brother Harry S. Truman did what was necessary. If there are any doubts ask any of the U.S. Military Personnel who were on their way to invade Japan.

There are many more positive points to His life and term as President than the bomb issue.

Answer 7

Truman made the hard decision, he is not responsible for the bombing, the Japanese put up such a fight that they estimated more people would die if they invaded, for example in Okinawa I believe Japanese were killing themselve rather than surrender, Not troops either, Women with children strapped to their backs, Truman is a hero, he saved more Japanese lives than he took.

Answer 8

Harry True Man!

He acted on the exigencies of that time. Making it look like he shouldn't have done what he did 20,30 years later would achieve nothing.

Remember Pearl Habor?

Answer 9

He did what was deemed necessary to win the war and avoid an immediate secondary war with the Russians.

Answer 10

Sadly, (or is it?) most Americans under the age of 45 won't care one way or the other. And probably 50% of them won't even know who he is!