Truman Doctrine: Resources

The first stop for all things Harry. Want to know what Truman liked to eat, or why a bowling alley was put in at the White House in 1947? Have an essay to write and need some juicy primary sources? The Truman Library & Museum website has it all.

Check out the New York Times' collection of articles detailing the death of FDR and almost daily coverage of Truman's presidency. (A.k.a. more primary sources for that upcoming research paper).

Click this link for a synopsis of Truman, David McCullough's definitive biography of Truman and one of the major texts that has influenced our understanding of the former president today. Seriously, get this book—it's good. Plus, it also happens to be over 1000 pages so anyone who sees you with it will automatically know you're smart.

Truman is no longer president, goes on a road trip thinking nobody will recognize him, gets caught speeding, and sasses almost everyone he meets.

If you've gone through this entire module, you'll see that we almost never stopped talking about a document called the "Clifford-Elsey Report." Here's a link to the text of the report, because we know you're just dying to read more about it.

See Stanley Kubrick's classic black comedy on Cold War hysteria, mutual assured destruction, and how to get away with risqué puns in a film. Any cultural history of the Cold War is incomplete without a Strangelove reference.

A 1995 made-for-TV movie starring Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan from Forest Gump) as Truman. Based on that really long biography of Truman we mentioned above under "Websites." Good option if you want to buy the book, casually have it sitting out when your friends come over, and give them a summary that fools them into thinking you've read all 1,117 pages.

Hear Truman's "Plain Speech" style with your very own ears. See him stick it to "failed promises" of the 80th Congress. (Particularly at around 17:25 to 21:00)

Here's a nice little mini-bio of our 33rd President. Included: The Truman Doctrine.

Actually hear Truman give his address (the Truman Doctrine speech) to Congress.

Time Magazine named featured Harry Truman on the cover of their Dec. 31, 1945 "Man of the Year" issue.

The red line on the map represents the areas of Eastern Europe under Soviet control at the time of the speech.

Red = Bad. Blue = Good. Notice what would happen to the amount of red on the map if Greece and Turkey were to go from blue to red. (Yugoslavia and Albania would soon become red too).

One of Truman's more popular, presidential portraits. He just looks like someone you wouldn't want to argue with, doesn't he?

Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson (Left), Secretary of State George Marshall (Center), and Harry Truman (Right) talk business. Both Acheson and Marshall would play a major role in setting the tone for U.S. foreign policy in the Cold War.

Clifford was one of the closest members of Truman's inner circle. He and Truman had an unlikely—although extremely stylish—friendship. Clifford was also a key player in drafting the Truman Doctrine.

Elsey was an important member in Truman's cabinet and a key author of the Truman Doctrine.

This picture of Truman as a Jedi just makes us laugh.