Harry S. Truman[b] ( – ) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year.
Harry S. Truman The 33rd U.S. president, Harry S. Truman led the U.S. through the final stages of World War II and through the early years of the Cold War. He is shown here in 1945, the year of his succession to the presidency, at the age of 60.
Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), the 33rd U.S. president, assumed office following the death of President Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Active in the Democratic Party, Truman was elected a judge of the Jackson County Court (an administrative position) in 1922. He became a senator in 1934. During World War II he headed the Senate War Investigating Committee, exposing waste and corruption and saving perhaps as much as $15 billion.
Upon becoming president, Harry Truman learned of the Manhattan Project, a secret scientific effort to create an atomic bomb. After a successful test of the weapon, Truman issued the Potsdam Declaration demanding the unconditional surrender of the Japanese government, warning of “prompt and utter destruction.”
Truman’s presidency was marked throughout by important foreign policy initiatives. Central to almost everything Truman undertook in his foreign policy was the desire to prevent the expansion of the influence of the Soviet Union.
Harry S. Truman became President of the United States with the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on . During his nearly eight years in office, Truman confronted enormous challenges in both foreign and domestic affairs.
Harry S. Truman served as the thirty-third President of the United States (1945-53), assuming the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This guide provides access to digital materials, external websites, and a selected print bibliography.