Presidents and Russia: Truman and Stalin at Potsdam
Franklin Roosevelt would not live long enough to attend the next scheduled meeting of the "Big Three". When Harry Truman became president in April of 1945, following Roosevelt's death, Truman faced a steep learning curve. Shortly after taking the oath of office, Truman told reporters: "Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now. I don't know if you fellas ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me what happened yesterday, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me." Truman asked all the members of Roosevelt's cabinet to remain in place. He was given brief details about the existence of the atomic bomb on the afternoon of April 12, but it wasn't until April 25 that Secretary of War Henry Stimson told him all of the details. The war in Europe was ongoing, but nearing an end. Truman was very pleased to issue the proclamation of V-E Day on May 8, 1945, which was also his 61st birthday.
Truman met with both Winston Churchill and Clement Atlee from Great Britain and Joseph Stalin of Russia in Potsdam, Germany from July 17th to August 2nd for what was known as the Potsdam Conference. The group met to decide what the consequences would be for the defeated Nazi Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier, on May 8. The goals of the conference also included the establishment of post-war order, peace treaties issues, and countering the effects of war.
While inexperienced in foreign affairs, Truman had closely followed the Allied progress of the war. Despite not being part of FDR's inner circle when it came to war planning, Truman showed enough self-confidence to disagree with policy that did not make sense to him. At this point in time the issue changed from one of winning the war to what the post-war world would look like. The new challenge was what the nature of the relationship between the two emerging superpowers (the USA and Russia) would look like. Suspicion and distrust existed between them. Both believed that the other would use their influence and strength to co-opt other nations into their political ideology.
Truman became more suspicious of communist moves than Roosevelt had been. Truman and his advisers saw Soviet actions in Eastern Europe as aggressive expansionism. This was seen as inconsistent with the agreements Stalin had committed to at the Yalta conference the previous February. Truman also could see potential complications elsewhere in the world, such as when Stalin objected to Churchill's proposal for an early Allied withdrawal from Iran, ahead of the schedule agreed at the Tehran Conference.
The Potsdam Conference was the first and only time Truman would ever meet Stalin in person. During the war, Roosevelt had downplayed warnings of a potential empire building by Stalin in Europe. FDR had said "I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of a man. I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask for nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace." FDR got that one wrong. Truman was more suspicious of communist motives than Roosevelt had been.
At the conference, Truman mentioned to Stalin that the United States had developed an unspecified "powerful new weapon". Towards the end of the conference, Japan was given an ultimatum to surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction". The ultimatum did not mention the new bomb and Japanese Prime minister Kantarō Suzuki did not respond. Four days after the conference ended, the United States dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6. A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Both cities were considered to be legitimate military targets. Truman listed among his reasons for dripping the bomb, his wanting to end the war swiftly, and prevent the loss of more American lives. But another consideration for Truman was also his not wanting Stalin to be involved in the terms of Japan's surrender. When Truman informed Stalin of the atomic bomb, he did not explicitly mention its atomic nature. He was deliberately vague in saying that the United States "had a new weapon of unusual destructive force". In fact Stalin already had full knowledge of the atomic bomb's development due to Soviet spy networks inside the Manhattan Project.
The meeting resulted in an agreement that included dividing Germany and Austria into four occupied war zones, as well as similar divisions in the capitol cities of Berlin and Vienna. Many historians view the Potsdam Conference as the beginning of tensions between the United States and Russia, and the start of the cold war.
Below is a video of old news footage of Truman speaking about the conference.
Truman met with both Winston Churchill and Clement Atlee from Great Britain and Joseph Stalin of Russia in Potsdam, Germany from July 17th to August 2nd for what was known as the Potsdam Conference. The group met to decide what the consequences would be for the defeated Nazi Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier, on May 8. The goals of the conference also included the establishment of post-war order, peace treaties issues, and countering the effects of war.
While inexperienced in foreign affairs, Truman had closely followed the Allied progress of the war. Despite not being part of FDR's inner circle when it came to war planning, Truman showed enough self-confidence to disagree with policy that did not make sense to him. At this point in time the issue changed from one of winning the war to what the post-war world would look like. The new challenge was what the nature of the relationship between the two emerging superpowers (the USA and Russia) would look like. Suspicion and distrust existed between them. Both believed that the other would use their influence and strength to co-opt other nations into their political ideology.
Truman became more suspicious of communist moves than Roosevelt had been. Truman and his advisers saw Soviet actions in Eastern Europe as aggressive expansionism. This was seen as inconsistent with the agreements Stalin had committed to at the Yalta conference the previous February. Truman also could see potential complications elsewhere in the world, such as when Stalin objected to Churchill's proposal for an early Allied withdrawal from Iran, ahead of the schedule agreed at the Tehran Conference.
The Potsdam Conference was the first and only time Truman would ever meet Stalin in person. During the war, Roosevelt had downplayed warnings of a potential empire building by Stalin in Europe. FDR had said "I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of a man. I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask for nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace." FDR got that one wrong. Truman was more suspicious of communist motives than Roosevelt had been.
At the conference, Truman mentioned to Stalin that the United States had developed an unspecified "powerful new weapon". Towards the end of the conference, Japan was given an ultimatum to surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction". The ultimatum did not mention the new bomb and Japanese Prime minister Kantarō Suzuki did not respond. Four days after the conference ended, the United States dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6. A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Both cities were considered to be legitimate military targets. Truman listed among his reasons for dripping the bomb, his wanting to end the war swiftly, and prevent the loss of more American lives. But another consideration for Truman was also his not wanting Stalin to be involved in the terms of Japan's surrender. When Truman informed Stalin of the atomic bomb, he did not explicitly mention its atomic nature. He was deliberately vague in saying that the United States "had a new weapon of unusual destructive force". In fact Stalin already had full knowledge of the atomic bomb's development due to Soviet spy networks inside the Manhattan Project.
The meeting resulted in an agreement that included dividing Germany and Austria into four occupied war zones, as well as similar divisions in the capitol cities of Berlin and Vienna. Many historians view the Potsdam Conference as the beginning of tensions between the United States and Russia, and the start of the cold war.
Below is a video of old news footage of Truman speaking about the conference.