Harry Truman: Containing Communism | 5-Minute Videos
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- čas přidán 12. 05. 2024
- Harry Truman led America to victory in World War II, but a new challenge was looming: the spread of communism across the globe. Would America’s 33rd president retreat into isolation, or fight the new threat head-on? Elizabeth Spalding, senior fellow at Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, describes his decision and what it cost him.
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Script:
Upon learning of Franklin Roosevelt’s death on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman was reported to have said, “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.”
It was only a slight exaggeration.
The decisions the 33rd president had to make in just the next four months would have crushed any normal person.
Managing the German surrender in May 1945, authorizing the use of the atomic bomb to end the war in the Pacific in August, and converting the economy from wartime to peacetime are just a sample of what he had to contend with.
It was also becoming clear that the Soviet Union was not going to be a partner in the postwar world. It was going to be an adversary bent on world domination.
Truman wasn’t about to let this happen.
The first order of business was to save Western Europe. Eastern Europe was already gone.
As Winston Churchill vividly described in March 1946, “...an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”
Truman agreed with Churchill, committing the United States to containing the Soviet threat. This became known as the Truman Doctrine.
Around the same time, Truman’s most trusted advisor, Secretary of State George Marshall, returned from Europe deeply concerned. He found Germany in ruins, England bankrupt, and France and Italy in chaos. Marshall reported it would take an unprecedented effort by the United States to breathe life into a moribund European economy. Failure to do so would hand over the Continent to the Soviets.
Truman authorized $13 billion in economic aid, a phenomenal figure for the time. This became known as the Marshall Plan. And indeed, it accomplished its goal: the recovery of Europe, thwarting Soviet expansionism.
In May 1948, a new crisis emerged: a war was raging between the Arabs and the Jews. The UN was looking for a solution. The question before Truman: should the United States recognize the new state of Israel?
Marshall argued “No.” It would further antagonize Arab states. But Truman saw a moral issue - the Jews had suffered enough over the centuries, most especially in the recent Holocaust - as well as a Biblical and historical issue - this was the Jews’ ancient homeland.
Thanks to Truman, on May 14, 1948, America became the first country to recognize the Jewish state.
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Today in 2024, about 52 million South Koreans owe their lives and freedoms to the 37,000+ dead allies that fought to keep South Korea free. That doesn't include the people that fought and lived as my dad was one.
as a Korean, thank you for the service and the sacrifices from the US veterans !!! South Korea has become from the poorest nation in the world to one of the most prosperous and developed countries in the world now. I am sure the veterans who fought during the Korean War would be proud.
@@David-by4jf amen, I agree.
Crazy to think how densely populated that tiny nation is, and yet its one of the most prosperous in the world. Meanwhile China forced women to abort their babies out of fear of "overpopulation."
My Korean grandfather fought in the Korean War as it erupted in his backyard; literally!! He stayed in the Korean Army for a solid 20 years and gained the rank of Master Sergeant. When he passed in: 2003, the surviving members of his regiment came and promoted him to: First Sergeant. I was enlisted by then, and was wearing my Class A’s proudly. My grandfather who was awarded a medal in South Korea (that is equivalent to the Navy’s Silver Star) was my inspiration for enlistment. He raised me to be the man I am today: a God fearing family man who loves his country.
If only they didn’t stalemate 😢
Truman was a far greater man than his predecessor, FDR.
as a Korean, thank you for the service and the sacrifices from the US veterans !!! South Korea has become from the poorest nation in the world to one of the most prosperous and developed countries in the world now. I am sure the veterans who fought during the Korean War would be proud.
👊😎👊
Truman was the last president who could legally get re-elected for as long as he lived.
President Truman also received the first Social Security Card from President LBJ.
Fun fact he was the only World War One vet to be elected president
Eisenhower served in WW1 but was never deployed to Europe.
@@tightywhitey9779 But not in combat
@@Autobotmatt428 that's what i meant when i said he wasn't deployed.
Harry Truman also granted the Philippines its long-awaited independence in 1946. America and the Philippines would then sign the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951.
As politically uneducated as we are now, it is clear that the average man back then were ignorant of the of geopolitics as well. Truman's approval was tanked by the end of his presidency due to the Korean War. But his decision to fight the communists and help South Korea not only created one of the most prosperous nations on earth that provides American jobs through its corporations, it is now an important strategic buffer state for American strategy. It's an important historical reminder of how wars, though at the time may feel pointless, are fought to secure the geopolitical aims of the United States for generations to come.
That's after he failed to save China because he was not determined to contain Soviet Unions.
Doesn't 'communist' China create American jobs through its corporations? I don't understand your logic.
That's a message today's republicans need to learn about Ukraine.
This man had like a 28% approval rating when he left office, IIRC. Most of it was because the Korean War. Now the Korean War is considered the 2nd most noble war the US ever fought, and Truman is considered one of our better Presidents.
Sorry, I don't think he was a good president. His blatant nativity about the Soviet Unions resulting the Soviet got free intelligence about the US nuclear program. Speak frankly, Harry Truman was pro labor union so he thought the Soviet communist government is not too bad. Of course he later understood the situation and started the communism containment policy but it was too late.
Yeah....Exactly who thinks the Korean war was a good war? Bankers and neocons?
@@Letsplay222 All those who know the difference between good and evil.
@@PhilBagels Oh gotcha. So now we fight wars because the other people are "evil". That makes so much sense and is totally not an unintelligent 12-year-old's conception of the world. I am sure all the widows and mothers of boys that never came home were relieved to know the lives were sacrificed for "fighting evil". Oh but wait, weren't our enemies in the Korean war our allies in a war a few years prior? How does that work?
@@Letsplay222 Nope. You don't "gotcha" at all. You don't seem to have got much of anything. You seem to be one of the people who clearly does not understand the difference between good and evil.
Truman deserves more attention.
The Buck Stops Here
(Let's)
Make America Great Again
Truman/Trump
Excellent video! I'm sharing it.
Prayer is the most powerful weapon of a believer praise God praying for everyone everyday God bless you all
PRAGERU!!!!!
One of the few Democrats I can respect.
I would like to know what President Truman would say about today's mess?
A flawed man as we all are, Truman was the leader we needed for the time. I don't agree with his socialist domestic policies, many of which we are still dealing with today. His foreign policy cannot be questioned. He had the guts to make the hard choices, even in the face of immense pressure. And with intigration of the military & judiciary, he made the right moral choice. He was a mixed bag, but no one can deny that he loved America and fought for her.
You know nothing about socialism.
Populism Is democracy, democracy is the sin in the eyes of LORD. Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, Hitler, Lenin, Mao, and Truman promote democracy, so democracy first break the rule of law, incites crime and be anarchy, then to be monarchy. 1 Samuel chapter 8
@@user-dv5sn2xv2y that is false, and is taking that scripture out of context. 1 Samuel 8 covers Isreal demanding a human king who would take care of everything for them. What they were demanding was a human dictatorship, akin to socialist/communist governments. It was a sin because God was to be Isreal's only king, and to speak to the nation through the prophets. Isreal rebelled against the Word of the Lord, and demanded a human king, so that they wouldn't have to take individual responsibility to carry out the tasks given to the nation. So God gave them what they asked for, an inferior human king who led them into disaster. Pure democracy is mob rule, and is a bad form of governance. A Constitutional Republic is the only for of government which sets in place checks and balances to contain the selfishness/wickedness that comes natural to humans, thus it is the superior form of government. Until Christ returns, and takes His place as King in Jerusalem that is.
@@user-tu1yv8ib3d I know plenty, and it sucks.
@@user-tu1yv8ib3d I know plenty about it, and it's all garbage.
Anybody remember Captain America’s famous quote? “Everytime someone tries to stop a war before it starts, innocent people die… everytime.” The airlift mentioned in this vid is a perfect example of that not being true.
With that said, I should mention that Truman was a New Deal Dem, so I dont support much of his domestic policies which under his predecessor extended the great depression. But yes, Truman made good decisions on the world stage. I think Truman was the last Democrat that was ever good at foreign policy, only modern Republicans have carried that baton. Modern Democrats just drool about FDR’s cherrypicked policies while abandoning the good ones over being weak.
Geopolitics from a cartoon character. Sounds about right, given the channel this is.
Brasil 🇧🇷 ❤ USA 🇺🇸
Always Remember Edson Arantes Do Nascimiento O Rey
You really should have mentioned the fact, that the Marshall plan was offered to the Warsaw Pact countries as well, but the Soviets, Stalin specifically, made sure that everyone would decline it.
And it's lazy to use modern maps, like Germany being united and the PRC containing Tibet.
Are there like 3000 bots that down vote every pager video?
They're alt-right anti-Semites.
Views (particularly watch time) and any user interaction, including dislikes, are beneficial for a channel. So these idiots and their bots are having the opposite effect on what they're trying to accomplish. Almost every PragerU vid has more dislikes than likes.
@@Dennis-nc3vw & radical lefties
Pager
other way around
I love Truman he stuck it out!
Truman and Trump were both businessmen before politics
@@kathleenking47Do you mean men with real world skills and experiences serving their country? Pretty refreshing in comparison to, say, Obama, who was just straight up groomed for President, and Biden, who has only EVER been a politician.
Very informative.
Watched on PragerU website (I need to download that App😇) and it's a very informative 5 Minute video for those that are not U.S. History buffs ~ which ALL American schools should develop in their students! It made me want to know more 📚
Urgent emergency please join me in prayer for all those affected families children animals suffering hurting all around the world having all medical problems having difficult situations paying rent bills evictions homeless hungry prayer for the lost to get saved facing all difficult situations fighting to survive keep the faith God will show you the way in the end we will be victorious with the Lord praise God praying for everyone everyday God bless you all
3rd, 10 May 2024
Ahh Harry Truman. The only decent Democrat I’ve ever heard of.
What about John F. Kennedy
@@anthonyfrias5533And Grover Cleveland
@@anthonyfrias5533 JFK might have been good, or he might have been terrible. We'll never know which because his time was cut short. He certainly gave some good speeches, and he understood domestic economics better than any Democrat since. Who knows what he might have accomplished? You could give a letter grade to each president, but JFK gets an 'I' for "incomplete" - through no fault of his own.
@PhilBagels well, he certainly wasn't terrible, I think he was OK, almost good even
Amen ! Thank Mr Truman and 37k US'a soldiers .
"We may have been fighting the wrong enemy (Germany) all along. But while we're here (on the Soviet border), we should go after the bastards now, 'cause we're gonna have to fight 'em eventually." General Patton
We have been fighting proxy wars against Russia ever since.
Yes, General Patton knows that democracy party cooperate with communist party.
*The people of Eurasia, including Western Europe (most of whom are Christians) have been divided and ruled over by outsiders for centuries.* Because it is easier to divide people based on personal differences, than it is to unite them, based on what they have in common. Strategically ambiguous rulers make use of this, for own advantages. In the era of European Imperialism, first London dragging along her junior partner Paris, then after 1945 as European colonial powers' influence decreased, the role of divider was simply taken over by Washington DC (the entire world was the playground during the Cold War).
Now the intention is simply to avoid unity in Eurasia, in order to "rule" over the dissent which is classical "divide and rule".
Today, their leaders are too weak to unite.
Endless wars, constant dissent.
Insert "levers" of lies, mistrust...
Create favorites: favoritism...
Point the finger, everywhere else...
Divide and Rule.
Oldest trick in the book...
Who wields the POWER?
Who has had (in all historical cases in the ME/Levant) the GEOGRAPHICAL ADVANTAGE of being able to reach all the other little buck catchers (tools, and other Roman-era style instruments of POWER), but could not be reached itself, because of a geographical-, technological-, organisational-, military-, strategic-, political advantage at any given point of a historical timeline?
*In February 1948, George F. Kennan's Policy Planning Staff said: "[W]e have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. ... Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity."[end of]*
America's allies and foes in Europe are still being burnt to ensure this disparity continues.
*It is how divide and rule is implemented.*
Set up European and Eurasian nations against each other.
The "playbook" of Great Britain and the USA for more than 100 years. Read Mackinder (Pivot of History, 1904) and Brzinzki (Grand Chessboard, 1997).
Populism Is democracy, democracy is the sin in the eyes of LORD. Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, Hitler, Lenin, Mao, and Truman promote democracy, so democracy first break the rule of law, incites crime and be anarchy, then to be monarchy. 1 Samuel chapter 8
Comment for the algorithm.
Wow. Not a single mention of other nation's contributions in the Korean War. Apparently you won World War 2 and the Cold War all on your own.
Interesting, what is the American policy to the Russians now I would hardly call it containment. It’s a shame American is returning to the politics of isolationism and not doing whatever it takes to promote democracy around the world
If America was truly dedicated to promote and spread democracy it wouldn't do buisniss with dictatorships like Saudi-Arabia and China.
America is now totally occupied by Marxists thanks to the decades long march through the institutions. Democracy is a totally meaningless term, Cuba, North Korea, Canada, China all claim to be democratic. Democracy is just propaganda used by the tyrants to justify their power grab.
@@W1LLi4m_ Who are the Marxists that have occupied America?
@@redblaze8700 Saudi Arabia is a vanguard against Al Qaeda. Just because you are supporting a dictatorship doesn't mean you are opposing democracy. We allied with dictatorships during WWII as well, does that mean we were fighting against democracy?
@@W1LLi4m_ You'd squeal like a pig if someone took away your right to vote so that's clearly not true.
The Long Telegram baby!
Truman sold eastern and central Europe to Soviet Union.
Nah, Churchill and FDR did that when they attacked Germany for invading Poland (and then allowed the Soviets to take it and the rest of Eastern Europe).
@@Letsplay222 no. It's more like Hitler stole it and then Stalin stole it, and when the Western Allies asked him to return it to the original owner he said no.
@@Worldmisery Hitler stole it: WW2! Stalin stole it and the rest of Eastern Europe: War is over! Pack it up, everyone!
Kept it out of Korea... But the US is infested with it.
Truman also supported universal healthcare which I’m guessing you all don’t support?
"his approval rating was 22%, the lowest in us history."
"hold my truashaminduhpressuh. you know, the thing." a potato.
Nope! Biden's approval hasn't even gotten into the 30s. His fan base is Democrats, and a Democrat in power is unquestionable to them.
I am very divided on Truman to be honest: on the one hand it may be argued that he wanted Europe to recover from the damages of W.W.II and prevent Western Europe from falling into the hands of the Soviet Union and communism, but on the other hand, critics are perhaps not entirely wrong when they accuse Truman of false generosity and being at the origin of an imperialistic American sphere of influence to which Europeans are still subservient to this day. Plus he created NATO which is one of the reasons why the B.R.I.C.S. (Brazil, Russia, Iran, China and Sout Africa) hate the West today. Many people perceive NATO as a war machine. Plus the Russia/Ukraine war is also because of NATO. But I also admit that the intervention in Korea was necessary; otherwise South-Korea wouldn't exist today and the whole peninsula would be like North-Korea.
As for 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' dropped on Japan, on the one hand I blame him for the fact that innocent victims died because of the decision he made, but on the other hand I am able to put things in context, America was in the momentum of the war and arrived at a situation where any discussion with Japan was simply impossible and therefore the atomic bomb was seen by Truman as the last resort and this was in no way an act of gratuitous cruelty. So I reiterate my opinion: I am very divided on this man but at the same time I understand the chain of events which led him to make the decisions he made.
Well verbalized.
Truman also had the choice to fully committing to the civil war in China, but he was sympathizing with communists in China. He was also hating US aids being used by corrupt family of Chiang. At the end, Truman delayed the aids, and China fell because the Chinese Communist Party was fully backed by the Soviet.
As a European, NATO I don't live under a communist dictatorship today. I can understand critisism of NATO from an American perspective. But if your argument genuinely is that American military presence in Europe harms *Europe itself* ("an American sphere of influence to which Europeans are still subservient to this day"), I.. find it very hard to understand that.
@@TimvanderVelden-dp3fs I am European, I live in Belgium. My argument is that European nations have lost their sovereignty.
@@sebastiaodavila9747 Sure. But in Truman's time, Europe was simply not in shape to defend to itself against Soviet invasion. At that time, it was either place yourself under American protection, or fall to the soviets.
As for the situation right now, I would agree that Europe needs to step up it's game and defend itself, instead of relying on the US. But the fact that we are currently dependent on the US is our own fault, not theirs. We are the ones who refused to have a serious military since the '90s and 2000's.
Nice to see PragerU respecting even 20th-century Democrats.
Let's face it, Truman is better than Joe.
@@Civsuccess2Harry Truman 1948!
TRUMP 2024!
Haha busy deleting comments aren't you?
This man was able he bore ships aided He was able He only care about was his self
Since you're talking about Harry Truman and socialism, I thought this quote may be of some interest to you
"The great issue in this campaign is "creeping socialism." Now that is the patented trademark of the special interest lobbies. Socialism is a scare word they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.
Socialism is what they called public power.
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called farm price supports.
Socialism is what they called bank deposit insurance.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
When the Republican candidate inscribes the slogan "Down With Socialism" on the banner of his "great crusade," that is really not what he means at all.
What he really means is, "Down with Progress -- down with Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal," and "down with Harry Truman's fair Deal." That is what he means."
And this was in 1952.
Socialists have done great things for this nation. If you like a 40hr work week, weekends and basic workplace safety measures, thank a socialist.
@@RemsHusbandthat's what I'm saying. There's always fearmongering about "muh socialism" every time there are policy proposals like these that help people
@@gaawwly.godjesusdude1881 Oh okay. I wasn't quite sure if you meant that socialism is bad but things that help people aren't socialism
@@gaawwly.godjesusdude1881 just because some things are good doesnt make all things good.
Unions are bad, for instance. They create an environment where the worthy are overlooked, merit is undesired. Where a bad worker is paid the same as a great worker (poorly) and the bad worker can't be fired.
Unions take control of an individual's career to form a collective career.
@@panzer00unions are also responsible for UPS drivers making twice as much as any of their competitors. At least some couriers are paid a livable wage.
"We fought the wrong enemy." - Patton
The most decorated general in history. Assassinated by his own government.
But the Military Industrial Complex got stronger. There is always a consequence.
Jesus Christ died for our Sins according to the scriptures and that he was Buried and he rose Again the third day praise God praying for everyone everyday God bless you All...
But he was a Democrat so it's a no from me
Populism Is democracy, democracy is the sin in the eyes of LORD. Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, Hitler, Lenin, Mao, and Truman promote democracy, so democracy first break the rule of law, incites crime and be anarchy, then to be monarchy. 1 Samuel chapter 8
After listening to this, I have a newfound respect for President Truman
Clearly, Marshall did not understand Islam. Neither do Democrats, but at least Truman did the right thing.
Ahh ha. And what exactly about Islam did Marshall not understand but you clearly do?
I don't know why, but I find it somewhat refreshing to see PragerU talk positively about a Democrat for a change.
Truman would be a Republican in today’s America. He would be sickened by the Democrats party, which has become a Stalinist party.
Dennis Prager never met a warmonger he didn't like.