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Truman's Influence On Japan During The Cold War

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After the American use of the atomic bomb on Japan in 1945, the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union grew exponentially. A weapon with so much destructive power in the hands of the enemy was justifiability seen as a huge threat to the Soviets` safety and influence. The Soviets constructed their own nuclear bomb in response during August of 1948, and began a competition began between the two nations. Each country attempted to produce forces more impressive than the other`s, leading to the creation of increasingly ruinous weaponry. The constantly stressed situation proved sensitive to any movement by either country, altered domestically or otherwise. For example, a press conference with President Truman on November 30th, 1950, …show more content…

He became the first President to use the atomic bomb when he ordered the attack of Japan`s two cities Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. The weight of his decision, debated as reasonable or otherwise, understandably troubled him, and influenced his choices leaning toward the reduction of arms; for both the United States and the Soviet Union. He took actions similar to Carl von Clausewitz`s ideas on limited warfare and force in his attempts to resolve Cold War problems, though there was never proof to that he was directly inspired by Clausewitz. Limited warfare would require the nations to withhold their power to a degree in order to maintain the health of society, and assure that the world would not receive any damage that it could not possibly recover from.
The Soviets` did not agree to most of Truman`s suggestions to ease the tension, however. And although the Soviet Union successfully infiltrated the United States information bases, and therefore knew more about atomic materials in the United States, Truman`s choices can be considered successes as they prevented many dangerous outcomes. Such as when leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin, approved North Korea`s invasion of the South , the United States were able to react in a way that prevented further harm to the situation, however shocked the Americans were at the

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