Islands of Civility: Truman and Vandenberg
Arthur Vandenberg was a Republican Senator from Michigan from 1928 to 1951. He was a key player in the creation of the United Nations and in transitioning the Republican Party from a foreign policy of isolationism (espoused by Robert Taft and other conservatives) to one of internationalism. Despite being from opposite parties, he disregarded party designation to support President Harry Truman in his Cold War policy and in the Marshall Plan, and the creation of NATO.
Vandenberg was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and worked as a newspaper editor and publisher. In 1928, Republican Governor Fred W. Green appointed Vandenberg to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy that arose after the death of Woodbridge Nathan Ferris. Vandenberg won election to a full term later that year and remained in the Senate until his death in 1951. At first he supported the early New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. But as Roosevelt's programs became more costly, Vandenberg pursued a policy of fiscal responsibility, alling for a balanced budget and reduced taxation. He felt that Roosevelt had usurped the powers of Congress, and he referred to Roosevelt's Presidency as a dictatorship. As part of the conservative coalition of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, Vandenberg helped defeat Roosevelt's plan to pack the Supreme Court. He voted against the National Labor Relations Act.
Initially Vandenberg also opposed U.S. involvement in World War II and urged Roosevelt to reach an accommodation with Japan. But his position changed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1947. While Vandenberg was unwilling to work with Roosevelt, he was more cooperative with Roosevelt's successor, Democratic President Harry Truman. Vandenberg supported Truman's Cold War policies. H famously said that "politics stops at the water's edge." Vandenberg unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 1940 and 1948. But despite wanting to run against Truman in 1948, he worked across the aisle with Truman when it came to foreign policy.
On January 10, 1945, Vandenberg delivered a celebrated address on the floor of the Senate which became known as the "speech heard round the world". In that speech he publicly announced his conversion from "isolationism" to "internationalism." In 1947, Vandenberg became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In that position, although the Republicans now had a majority in the Senate, Vandenberg cooperated with the Truman administration in forging bipartisan support for the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. He even presented what became known as the Vandenberg resolution, which was passed in June of 1948.
At the time, negotiations were taking place about the nature and degree of US support for the defense of its North Atlantic allies in case of a Soviet attack. The European nations wanted a firm commitment from the US to defend Europe in such event, while many members of the U.S. Senate wanted to maintain its constitutional prerogative to commit the United States to war. State Department officials crafted a text that balanced the concerns of its European allies, the Senate, and the US military. All of this was done as the presidential election of 1948 fast approached.
Discussions between administration and Republican leaders over collective security arrangements in Europe were held between April and June 1948. The talks took into account the likelihood of a Republican presidential victory in the November election. Vandenberg was a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. In candid and cooperative talks with Secretary of State Marshall, Vandenberg supported the concept of a North Atlantic alliance and agreed to support it in the Senate if negotiations were delayed until after the elections and the UN Charter was affirmed in the prospective treaty. Vandenberg wanted to be both supportive, and also practical, given the political realities. In an April 11 meeting, Vandenberg and State Department officials discussed the wording of a resolution that would provide the legislative groundwork for a long-term pact.
On May 11, Vandenberg presented a resolution that he had drafted with Lovett to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which approved it. On June 11 Vandenberg introduced the resolution, which the Senate passed by a vote of 82 to 13. The resolution recommended that Truman seek US and free world security through support of mutual defense arrangements that operated within the UN Charter but outside the Security Council, so that the Soviet veto would not impede collective defense arrangements. The Vandenberg Resolution opened the way to the negotiation of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Francis O. Wilcox, first chief of staff of the Foreign Relations Committee, later described Vandenberg's Senate career as a "monument to bipartisanship in American foreign policy". It was a time when Truman was considered by many to be a political dead duck, and it would have been very easy for Vandeberg to put politics ahead of country. He chose the more civil and unselfish approach instead. A new book about Vandenberg's bipartisan relationship with the Truman administration and about the importance of their cooperation, entitled Harry and Arthur: Truman, Vandenberg, and the Partnership That Created the Free World was published in April 1, 2016. It is written by Lawrence J. Haas.
Vandenberg was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and worked as a newspaper editor and publisher. In 1928, Republican Governor Fred W. Green appointed Vandenberg to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy that arose after the death of Woodbridge Nathan Ferris. Vandenberg won election to a full term later that year and remained in the Senate until his death in 1951. At first he supported the early New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. But as Roosevelt's programs became more costly, Vandenberg pursued a policy of fiscal responsibility, alling for a balanced budget and reduced taxation. He felt that Roosevelt had usurped the powers of Congress, and he referred to Roosevelt's Presidency as a dictatorship. As part of the conservative coalition of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, Vandenberg helped defeat Roosevelt's plan to pack the Supreme Court. He voted against the National Labor Relations Act.
Initially Vandenberg also opposed U.S. involvement in World War II and urged Roosevelt to reach an accommodation with Japan. But his position changed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1947. While Vandenberg was unwilling to work with Roosevelt, he was more cooperative with Roosevelt's successor, Democratic President Harry Truman. Vandenberg supported Truman's Cold War policies. H famously said that "politics stops at the water's edge." Vandenberg unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 1940 and 1948. But despite wanting to run against Truman in 1948, he worked across the aisle with Truman when it came to foreign policy.
On January 10, 1945, Vandenberg delivered a celebrated address on the floor of the Senate which became known as the "speech heard round the world". In that speech he publicly announced his conversion from "isolationism" to "internationalism." In 1947, Vandenberg became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In that position, although the Republicans now had a majority in the Senate, Vandenberg cooperated with the Truman administration in forging bipartisan support for the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. He even presented what became known as the Vandenberg resolution, which was passed in June of 1948.
At the time, negotiations were taking place about the nature and degree of US support for the defense of its North Atlantic allies in case of a Soviet attack. The European nations wanted a firm commitment from the US to defend Europe in such event, while many members of the U.S. Senate wanted to maintain its constitutional prerogative to commit the United States to war. State Department officials crafted a text that balanced the concerns of its European allies, the Senate, and the US military. All of this was done as the presidential election of 1948 fast approached.
Discussions between administration and Republican leaders over collective security arrangements in Europe were held between April and June 1948. The talks took into account the likelihood of a Republican presidential victory in the November election. Vandenberg was a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. In candid and cooperative talks with Secretary of State Marshall, Vandenberg supported the concept of a North Atlantic alliance and agreed to support it in the Senate if negotiations were delayed until after the elections and the UN Charter was affirmed in the prospective treaty. Vandenberg wanted to be both supportive, and also practical, given the political realities. In an April 11 meeting, Vandenberg and State Department officials discussed the wording of a resolution that would provide the legislative groundwork for a long-term pact.
On May 11, Vandenberg presented a resolution that he had drafted with Lovett to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which approved it. On June 11 Vandenberg introduced the resolution, which the Senate passed by a vote of 82 to 13. The resolution recommended that Truman seek US and free world security through support of mutual defense arrangements that operated within the UN Charter but outside the Security Council, so that the Soviet veto would not impede collective defense arrangements. The Vandenberg Resolution opened the way to the negotiation of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Francis O. Wilcox, first chief of staff of the Foreign Relations Committee, later described Vandenberg's Senate career as a "monument to bipartisanship in American foreign policy". It was a time when Truman was considered by many to be a political dead duck, and it would have been very easy for Vandeberg to put politics ahead of country. He chose the more civil and unselfish approach instead. A new book about Vandenberg's bipartisan relationship with the Truman administration and about the importance of their cooperation, entitled Harry and Arthur: Truman, Vandenberg, and the Partnership That Created the Free World was published in April 1, 2016. It is written by Lawrence J. Haas.