Truman was born May 8th 1884 in Lamar, Missouri. He served as a captain in the field artillery in France in World War I. He returned to his native Missouri after the war and married his childhood sweetheart Bess Wallace.
He became a successful farmer and was an active member of the Democratic party. He turned to Missouri Democratic strongman Mike Pendergast for assistance to run for the office of County Judge.
He received very little support from Pendergast but won the appointment as Judge in 1923 on his own merits and grass roots campaign.
In 1934 Truman turned his sights on being a Missouri State Senator and once again was victorious. Mike Pendergast was later investigated for corruption and although Truman was an honest man, his past association with Pendergast aroused suspicions about his integrity.
Truman survived the controversy and was re-elected in 1940 with support from Vice President John Nance Gardner and Missouri Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg both of whom were impressed by Truman.
Truman was given important assignments on two Senate committees where he exposed waste and corruption and saved the country billions of dollars making him a overnight political success and a recognized and influential U.S. Senator.
Truman Learns About the Manhattan Project
The Democratic party understood the with President Roosevelt's failing health that the VP that ran with Roosevelt in 1944 would more then likely become President before Roosevelt's term ended.
Little did the world or Harry Truman realize that just after eight-two days as Vice President, in April of 1945, that the mantle of President would be thrust upon him, and in his own worlds "it felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me."
With the death of President Roosevelt, Truman became the 33rd President and had to be brought up to speed with all war efforts including the secret program known as "The Manhattan Project."
Truman is Forced to use the Atom Bomb
The Manhattan project was a top-secret program to develop the world's first atomic bomb. U.S. Scientists had been vigorously working to be the first country to complete and test the a-bomb.
After a successful test in the New Mexico desert, Truman after extensive consultation with advisors and allies, issued an ultimatum to the Empire of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration to surrender. The ultimatum was ignored by Japan and on August 6th 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima.
Twenty-four hours later a repeat of the massive destruction in Hiroshima was visited on the city of Nagasaki unleashing devastation that was unprecedented in all the history of warfare.
Truman became the first military chief to use nuclear weapons on an enemy nation.
Truman, the mild-mannered Missouri farmer, the World War I veteran, the county Judge, the Senator, the Vice President, The President of the United States, the destroyer of whole cities.
Read about Trumans British counterpart: Sir Winston Churchill: The British Bulldog
Source:
The Everything WWII Book by David White & Daniel P. Murphy, Ph.d (Adams Media 2002)
