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THE
COLD WAR TURNS HOT
 In
Asia, the Cold War would heat up dramatically, raising anxieties
and demanding sacrifices of Americans at home and on the battlefield.
With
the Soviet Union's entrance into the nuclear club, the fall
of China to Mao Tse-tung, and the events on the Korean peninsula,
many Americans were feeling vulnerable. The end of America's
nuclear monopoly meant that American cities could face the
possibility of atomic attack.
Many
felt the Soviets could not have developed atomic weapons without
the aid of spies in the U.S., a fact we now know as truth.
But at the time, concerns about a government awash in enemy
agents became greatly exaggerated. Such fears were fanned
by sensational government investigations of loyalty, mainly
led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, and in such an atmosphere
of fear and suspicion there was a rising demand that citizens
demonstrate their loyalty. Worries over spies, nuclear attack,
and the specter of communism filtered into American culture
in countless ways. These ranged from civil defense exercises
to films and books that painted lurid pictures of communist
agents and atomic war. Some people even took to building family
bomb shelters.
To highlight
the problems in the Eastern Hemisphere, a multi-media program
will combine a four minute video (running on a large-screen
monitor) with synchronized lighting effects on a large, walk-in
sectional map of Asia in the shape of a globe.
Proceeding through the exhibit, a display entitled "Ten Fateful
Months" shows the challenges faced by Truman at the beginning
of his second term. Three wall-mounted soundsticks will feature
an audio program relating to the announcement that the Soviets
had exploded an atomic bomb. There will also be three soundsticks
that feature excerpts from a speech by Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Three more soundsticks treat visitors to an excerpt from President
Truman's address to the nation on September 9, 1950 after
he signed the Defense Production Act. One entire wall is dedicated
to the Korean Conflict, with a video monitor showing documentary
footage and photos of the war and another section of soundsticks
that contains a four-minute loop of oral histories of veterans
who served in the fight.
Focusing on the Cold War at home, a large exhibition case
contains two secondary text blocks that introduce a mix of
photographs, artifacts, and documents. The case contains numerous
pamphlets, instructional posters, and other publications of
the time that were distributed to counter the communist threat
and nuclear attack.
Two flipbooks, titled "In His Own Words: The Cold War Turns
Hot" and "Dissenting Views: The Cost of the Cold War" are
also available for perusal here.
Exhibits on the Korean War conclude this section of the
exhibition. One display chronicles the dismissal of General
Douglas MacArthur and the "feud" between the General and the
President. Wall-mounted soundsticks will provide two minute
audio loop excerpts from Truman's national television/radio
address announcing the firing of the General, with others
featuring MacArthur's speech to a joint session of Congress
after his return from Korea. "In His Own Words" and "Dissenting
Views" flipbooks also detail the subject. The Korean War section
concludes with a simple display case exhibiting a purple heart
that sent to President Truman by William Banning along with
a poignant and stinging letter wishing that the President's
daughter had been killed in Korea as Mr. Bannings son had
been.
Featured
documents in this section of the exhibit:
Firing
of MacArthur
-
Louis Johnson to Douglas MacArthur, August 26, 1950, regarding
MacArthur's statement to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's Files. (1
page)
- Douglas
MacArthur to Harry S. Truman, with draft letter to MacArthur
by George Elsey, October 30, 1950, regarding the continued
success of U. N. Forces in Korea. Papers of Harry S. Truman:
President's Secretary's Files. (4
pages)
- Personal
memo of Harry S. Truman, November 25, 1950, reflecting on
visit with General Douglas MacArthur at Wake Island. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's Files. (5
pages)
- Harry
S. Truman to Omar Bradley, with attachments, December 6,
1950, March 24, and April 7, 1951, pertaining to MacArthur's
statement on Formosa. Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's
Secretary's Files. (6
pages)
- Diary
entries, April 6-7, 1951, stating Truman's intention to
fire MacArthur with the agreement of his advisors. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's Files. (2
pages)
- J.
A. Sullivan to Harry S. Truman, April 12, 1951, protesting
the firing of General MacArthur. Papers of Harry S. Truman:
Official Files. (1
page)
- Joint
Chiefs of Staff to Douglas MacArthur, attached to copy of
letter from Douglas MacArthur to Joe Martin, March 20 and
24, 1951; Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's
Files. (2
pages)
- Proposed
draft messages to Frank Pace, Douglas MacArthur, and Matthew
Ridgway, c. April 1951, providing Pace with instructions
for handling the signed orders to fire MacArthur and promote
Ridgway, along with the orders and a press release. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's Files. (6
pages)
- Lillian
Russel to Harry S. Truman, April 12, 1951, asking for the
reinstatement of General MacArthur. Papers of Harry S. Truman:
Official Files. (3
pages)
- Mrs.
Joan Rountree to Harry S. Truman, April 13, 1951, protesting
the firing of General MacArthur. Papers of Harry S. Truman:
Official Files. (1
page)
- Telegram,
Mrs. H. V. Schoepflin to Harry S. Truman, April 11, 1951,
protesting the firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: Official Files. (2
pages)
Korean
War
- Memorandum
from the State Department to Harry S. Truman, June 24, 1950,
regarding the invasion of South Korea by the North Korean
Army. Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's
Files. (1
page)
- Douglas
MacArthur to Joint Chiefs of Staff, June 30, 1950, addressing
the status of the South Korean military situation. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: Naval Aide Files. (3
pages)
- Personal
memo of Harry S. Truman, June 30, 1950, reflecting on MacArthur's
request for more troops and concerns over general "Asian
war". Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's
Files. (3
pages)
- Memo
of conversation between Harry S. Truman and George Elsey,
June 26, 1950, pertaining to the significance of Korea and
the threat of Communist takeovers elsewhere. Papers of George
M. Elsey. (1
page)
McCarthy
- Telegram,
Joseph McCarthy to Harry S. Truman, February 11, 1950, with
Truman's draft reply, regarding McCarthy's list of alleged
Communists in the State Department and the Department's
lack of cooperation with Congress in investigating the situation.
Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's Files.
(7
pages)
- Excerpt
of transcript from Presidential Press and Radio Conference,
March 30, 1950, discussing Senator Joseph McCarthy's allegations
of Communists in the State Department. Papers of Harry S.
Truman: David Lloyd Files. (7
pages)
- Mrs.
G. C. Hemphill to Harry S. Truman, August 31, 1951, expressing
support for statements made by Senator McCarthy regarding
Philip Jessup, Ambassador at Large. Papers of Harry S. Truman:
Official Files. (1
page)
NSC
68 and the Arms Buildup
-
A Report to the National Security Council - NSC 68, April 14, 1950.
Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's Secretary's Files.
(72
pages)
- Memorandum, National Security Council to Harry S. Truman,
April 21, 1950. Papers of Harry S. Truman: President's
Secretary's Files. (4 pages)
- Interim Report by the National Security Council, c. August 1950.
Papers of George Elsey. (61 pages)
Truman:
In His Own Words
- Diary
entry of Harry S. Truman, December 9, 1950, in which he
reflects on the grave world situation, saying it “looks
like World War III is here.” Papers of Harry S. Truman:
President’s Secretary’s File. (3
pages)
- Diary
entry of Harry S. Truman, January 27, 1952, relating his
anger and frustration with the Soviet Union and the situation
in Asia. Papers of Harry S. Truman: President’s Secretary’s
File. (7
pages)
- Draft
letter, unsent, Harry S. Truman to Arthur Krock, September
11, 1952, refuting Krock’s assertion in his newspaper
column that the Truman Administration made “gross and
costly blunders” in the arena of foreign policy. Papers
of Harry S. Truman: President’s Secretary’s File.
(9
pages)
- Letter,
Millard Tydings to Harry S. Truman, May 22, 1950, with Truman’s
reply and press release, May 28, 1950, with attached internal
memos, regarding the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s
request for Loyalty Review Board files. Papers of Harry
S. Truman: Official File. (43
pages)
- Letter,
Harry S. Truman to Stanley Woodward, June 24, 1950, discussing
Truman’s plan to visit Independence, just before the
Korean conflict erupted. Papers of Stanley Woodward. (3
pages)
- Letter,
Harry S. Truman to Bess Wallace Truman, June 26, 1950, discussing
his early return to Washington, D. C., and the first meetings
on the Korean crisis. Papers of Harry S. Truman: Post-Presidential
File. (2
pages)
- Memorandum
of conversation, State Department, June 26, 1950, regarding
the first meeting on the Korean crisis at Blair House. Papers
of Dean Acheson. (8
pages)
- Diary
entry of Harry S. Truman, May 18, 1952, in which he reveals
his continuing frustration with the situation in Korea and
the Communists. Papers of Harry S. Truman: President’s
Secretary’s File. (6
pages)
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