Probably the most honest man to ever occupy the White House. He had modest formal education, but read avidly and made informed. often courageous, decisions. He used the atomic bomb on Horoshima and Nagasaki, but should probably have dropped at least the first bomb somewhere in Japan to make a demonstration that was much less costly in human lives. This is much easier to say in retrospect few leaders would have shown any more restraint against a fanatatical foe against whom we had been at war for four violent and bloody years. Overall, Truman virtually always made the best decisions he could, was as close to uncorruptable as anyone ever in the office. The opinion expressed below that he would have been considered to be a neoconservative is ludicrous - the man never showed any interest in their fantasies of preemptive war.

Great President

F***k! This man let them drop the atomic bomb on innocent CIVILIANS. No matter if this saved lifes for having avoided a Japan invasion, because it's not a fair mean to conduct wars. What if everyone starts to drop atomic bombs just to speed up the surrender??? Bad.

Not so good was Mr. Truman. Aside form having an affair, his policies were unsound and cowardly. He constantly was faltering back on civil rights issues due to the threat of So. white democrats to mobilize against him in the election. Furthermore, He justifies killing thousand of innocents by saying we saved U.S. troops lives. Rubbish, we were more effective with air raids (that did not kill children). He kicked off the cold war then constantly was using belicose cold war rhet in order to stir up some domestic support. This of course riled some people up so much that a Joe MCCarthy starts 'witch hunting'. Oh yeah, and the Truman doctrine-we are at war today becasue of this one. this is the most losely intepreted piece of legislation in U.S. history. And that reminds me, he sorta misinterpreted everything at Yalta. Self-rightious, and perhaps deaf and daft! At least he relieved MacArthur, and did not let STROM get into office.

Some other people's comments are just ignorant of history. For instance, the comment that he didn't drop the bomb on Germany because they were white people shows no grasp of history. Germany had already surrendured by the time the bomb was ready and Japan was still fighting on, causing more deaths. Though the bomb was certainly a controversial part of his presidency (especially later), it was not a decision that was made lightly. Since the Japanese refused to surrendur (rather die taking as many US soldiers with them as had been already demonstrated in places like Iwo Jima), it looked as though the US would have hundreds of thousands of casualties or more if they tried to invade the Japanese homeland. The bomb was fairly uncertain since it was a new technology and he was advised by many that it would be 20,000 Japanese deaths in the center of the city that produced war materials. Obviously, it turned out to be more destructive than that, but how many people would have been killed invading Japan (people thought many hundreds of thousands) because of their refusal to surrendur? Also, any invasion of Japan would have probably involved the Soviet Union and would have ended up with Japan being chopped up into pieces much like Germany and Eastern Europe were. As others have mentioned, Truman was very interested in being sure that another war did not happen because of harsh oppression of the losers of the war as had happened after World War I (which he fought in). The conditions after WWI really set an atmosphere in which fanatics such as Hitler could come to power because of the desperation and conditions of the people. Because of this attitude came some remarkable things such as the Marshall plan which actually helped rebuild Germany and Japan to help heal the wounds of the war. The people who say things in their comments about Truman being a bully or only being concerned about getting even really don't know much about him or his presidency. Truman was also one of the first presidents to put forth some civil rights changes. He did so because he felt it was the right thing, and many at that time disagreed because of the nature of the times. Though he's not the best president of all time, he's certainly one of the better presidents. Of surveys of historians since 1962, he's been fairly consistently ranked in the top 10.

He was one of the best of all time!

Harry Truman, given the situation he took office, must be considered one of the better presidents. As other comments have noted, Truman was essentially thrust into office unprepared for the immediate challenges due to the failures of FDR (ie the latter did not keep Truman in the loop despite FDR's failing health). Nevertheless, Truman, among other accomplishments, 1) made the decision to utilize nuclear weapons against Japan, arguably saving lives and definitely shortening the war and reducing the monetary costs, 2) reacted to Soviet aggression and expansion in Europe (eg Greece, Turkey, and Korea), and 3) established the Marshall Plan (though its namesake deserves more credit). The bottom line is that Harry S. Truman (note the S was added as Truman had no middle name by birth) was a principled leader who made difficult decisions at the time those decisions had to be made. Revisionist historians need to keep that fact in mind. (I would also speculate that Truman would be considered a Neo-Conservative by contemporary standards.)

Great at war and at peace. Desegregated the Armed Forces paving the way for the dismantling of a system where one man's self esteem was oftenthe expense of another's.

My favorite president is one of the very best when he devotes a lot of time towards WW2, the Korean War and equality. He is a true man that I adore.

Give em hell, Harry

he kicked the japs but by droping the bomb. he saved ally and japenese lives.

His purpose was to finish WWII with an American victory. Similar to President Bush, Truman had a plan and saw it through to victory. In the long run Truman and Bush will be seen as similar presidents. However Bush has a threat that is far greater than Truman or FDR has ever faced. Where have the democrats with balls gone?

saved countless allied lives by dropping the big one(s) on japan

Harry Truman entered office under the most tense circumstances of any President since Andrew Johnson. Although the war in Europe had been won, war continued to rage in the Pacific. Upon assuming office, Truman was faced with a decision that he would spend his lifetime defending- whether or not to use the atomic bomb on Japan. He finally authorized the plan, and the bomb was dropped on two Japanese cities, killing 100,000 people. In my opinion, Truman made the right decision. There was absolutely no end in sight to the war in the Pacific, and thousands, and perhaps millions more lives would've been lost had it continued. In addition, the only other alternative was to invade Japan, and that would've cost the lives of thousands of American soldiers, and there would be no guarantee of American victory. There is no doubt that dropping the bomb was a difficult decision to make, but Truman did what he thought to be right, and I believe that, despite the tragic destruction it caused, dropping the bomb actually saved lives in the long-run. With the war over, Truman still had little time to embrace, as another struggle was evolving. It was clear even before the war ended that the Soviets intended to assert their dominance in Europe and elsewhere. While many are quick to blame Truman for the Cold War, the struggle actually began with the concessions that Roosevelt made to Stalin at Yalta. Unlike his predacessor, Truman quickly realized that the Soviets had no intention of sharing power with the United States--- they intended to embark on a road towards world domination. As the Soviets attempted to assert their military influence in the Mediterranean, Truman got the Congress to provide for $400 million in emergency aid for Turkey and Greece in order to defend against Communist threats. Furthermore, Truman met the demands of post-war Europe by approving the Marshall Plan, a $13 billion aid package that would help rebuild democracy in war-torn Europe. Truman was also successful in getting the Soviets to back down in Berlin. To meet the new conditions of the world, Truman restructured America's military system, creating the Department of Defense, the CIA and the National Security Agency. Furthermore, in signing an executive order desegregating the Armed Forces, Truman solidified his commitment to equal rights. Truman also formed a multi-national defense coalition in NATO to meet the challenges of the Cold War. When war broke out between North and South Korea, Truman responded quickly by sending weapons to democratic South Korea. Truman used the resources of the U.S. military and that of NATO to meet the clear Communist provocation in Korea. In approving MacArthur's invasion plan, Truman forced the North Koreans above the 38th parallel, and it appeared that the war was won. It was here that Truman made his most costly mistake as President. Shifting the goal from Communist containment to liberation (which was strategically impossible), Truman ordered MacArthur to invade the North, thus prompting China to enter the war. 250,000 Chinese soldiers forced U.S. forces back below the 38th parallel. By the time Truman left office, however, the tide had began to turn in our favor, as the Chinese and North Koreans had been pushed back above the 38th parallel. Peace talks began in July 1952, and when Truman's successor assumed office, a peace settlement was achieved and the Communist threat to South Korean independence had been contained. In domestic affairs, Truman was unable to get most of his programs through the Congress, except for the initiation of a federal housing program. Truman also was the first President of the 20th century to propose comprehensive Civil Rights legislation, thus setting the tone for the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s. In the end, when Truman left office, America was entering a period of prosperity, and over the next eight years, Truman's successor was able to maintain that prosperity and preserve the peace that Truman had fought so hard to achieve.

Straight, tough, and down to earth. He hauled a popular, arrogant general into line and preserved the dignity of the presidency. He had the humility to drive home after his term ended. It is sad that we do not have a president of this caliber today.

I'm not so sure about what he did in office as much, but Harry Truman remains one of my favorite presidents.

Made his mistakes and angered most of the people at times but in the end got the job done and we were better for getting the job done. Three phrases stand out for this plain speaker. "The buck stop here", and "Give them hell Harry", "I tell them the truth and they think it hell".

A fine man and a great president.

He did end the war and did speak out against racism against the Japanese Americans, but looking at his picture for some reason scares me. Look at the Frida Kahlo Painting "A Few Small Nips"! Then look at Truman's picture. He looks eerily like that guy in the painting.

"Hi! My name's Harry Truman! And I give everyone hell! Ain't I so great?" Just a little man with an ego-problem.

He is a murderer plain and simple. Why didn't he drop the bomb on Germany too? Oh, Wait! Because they were white people! So it was okay to nuke Japan because they were Asian and not caucasian? Jeez! What a hypocrite! Germany was the true agressor in World War II.

HAD ENOUGH SENSE TO USE THE BOMB. JUST THINK HOW MANY OF US WOULD'T BE HERE NOW IF WE HAD LOST THE SOLDIERS TAKING JAPAN.

I'd invite him to dinner. Opened up a big ol' can of whoop-ass on the Japanese, but held back from dominating Europe and Asia. Kept Russia in check. Put a foot up MacArthur's sorry butt. Pulls a 2nd Presidency out of his own butt. Very cool Prez.

I can not support the dropping of a ruthless killing machine such as the Atom Bomb!

a soviet spy who helped the cause of the reds in America

I guess I'm just giving him 4 stars since he had the balls to nuke Japan and put an end to that whole mess.

He had enough backbone to fire MacArthur for going against orders, enough courage to drop the atomic bomb and avoid more loss of American lives, and better morals than JFK, Clinton, Condit and similar sleazeballs.

Truman is not only the most uninteresting US President but also a complete non-entity that was selected by Roosevelt and Prendergast for precisely that attribute. He became a member of wildly corrupt Democrat Machine after losing the family farm, a small business and being penurious for most of his adult life. We are told to suspend our disbelief and imagine that that failed scion of Missouri was incorruptible whilst he cavorted with the corrupt bottom feeding dregs that habituate the Democratic Party in every age. Please you can’t want us to be that naïve in this post-Clinton world. Truman continued the corrupt alliance with the diabolically evil Soviet Union and lost most of Eastern Europe in the process while he protected and advanced Soviet agent to the highest ranks of our government. His lackadaisical security effort allowed the Soviets to steal the atomic bomb secrets right from under our noses. He went on to misinterpret the issues in China and failed to adequately support the Kuomintang regime against Mao while precipitating a war in Korean by misleading North Korea and the Soviets. He was a vindictive miserable hater who enjoys such a sterling reputation because he did so much for our enemies and the left unlike the right never forget a friend or forgive an enemy.

Dropped an atom bomb.

God bless the Truman doctrine.

The Marshall Plan was his best accomplishment during his time as president. Again, like Roosevelt, I felt he was too liberal on social issues...by all intent and purposes there should have been a President Dewey in 1948...but "Give 'em Hell Harry" prevailed.

Vastly over-rated. Revisionist history.

He started the United States paranoia of the "red scare." He was a good president in that he held the position when the Japanese surrendered and obviously FDR is an extremely difficult act to follow.

Contrary to folklore and the misinformed, Harry Truman was not a memeber of the KKK, although he did freely admit that his family was of the South and had shared many of the misguided opinions of Southerners of the 19th century. Few remember that it was Truman that stood against popular opinion of the day and signed the presidential order that commanded the military to end segregation in the armed forces. Truman was a humble man, from a poor farming family. Self taught for the most part, certainly not a genius but he did command the respect and loyalty of those that served with him. This characteristic is probalby the most important aspect of his life, first as the Postmaster General, then as an enlisted soldier and later, a captain during World War I. As a state and federal representative, he was always known as a man to be trusted, honest and loyal. A truly great and historical president ~ the Truman Doctrune, Berlin Airlift, use of the A bomb, desegration of the armed forces, Marshall Plan and organization of the Executive Cabinet structure we know today. Here's what Harry said reflecting on his thoughts the night he was sworn into office and of his Presidency: " I was plenty scared, but scared or not, prepared or not, I promised myself one thing that evening, and in the days and nights that followed: that I'd work damned hard and try damn hard to be a good president. I think most perple will give me taht much: that I tried hard to be a good president and I hope some people will feel that I succeeded."

I'm not sure he was right about the atmomic bomb or even Korea, but remembering him reminds people what a man in that office ought to be like. It's character, just character, he stands like a rock in history now.

A true American. A man of his convictions. The US of A profited from his administration.

He droped the nuclear warhead on Hiroshima and Naugusaki. But he was a democrat so that lowers him alot.

KKK thats all there is to say. And they say "Clinton" was immoral.

Two sides of the A-bomb issue. We learned his true side when he refused to push back the Russians and stop the North Koreans. Still, he inherited a hot seat.

It took great courage to use the bomb and safeguard American troops from what surely would have been an extremely bloody ground war.

Not as bad as as FDR, but he continued the trend towards big government and denounced the Republican tax-cut (meant to reverse WWII/Depression era rates) as a "rich man's tax cut". He did make a courageous decision to bomb Japan, but that's not enough to put him above 2 stars.

Truman was a great president, our current prosperity today would not exist if it were not for the GI bill which allowed veterans of WW2 to get an education which allowed these people to work in various industries which allowed for long-term growth in the economy. He deserves more credit as a great president than he receives. His foreign policy effectively ended WW2; dropping the atomic bomb showed the world that these weapons should never be used again. He also brought together many good, qualified people to work in his cabinet, which more than made up for his lack of knowledge.

Truman is one of the most interesting modern presidents. Here's this regular guy from Missouri who claws his way into Congress and gains a little notoriety by exposing waste in military spending. Then a strange combination of events propel him, in many ways by chance, into the Vice Presidency under a quickly fading FDR. Truman hardly communicates with FDR in the months after his term begins, and then all of a sudden FDR dies and Truman finds himself guiding the most powerful country in the world during the most critical time of the 20th century (with little or no high-level knowledge of how the war has been managed up to that point). Here's this guy who was selling hats at a little store in Kansas City in the 20s, and now he's sitting across the table from Churchill and Stalin discussing the fate of the post-war world. He may not have been the most intelligent, dynamic leader the U.S. has ever seen, but look at some of the events he presided over: ending the war with Japan, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, sacking MacArthur... Whether you think these events are positive or negative, you have to admire Harry for stepping up and blazing a path.

an admitted former kkk member.I do not know why so many blacks supported him.

Instrumental in protecting the U.S.'s interests early in the Cold War and undoing much of the damage caused by FDR.

Dropped the Big One... Dropped 2 Big Ones.

Jim Carey was great in this movie.