Overview                                                                                                               Back to Navigation Bar

Objectives

Students will:

·        identify major arguments and supporting evidence presented to Truman concerning the Soviet Union

·        compare and contrast these memos

·        analyze statements from Soviet leaders concerning different international situations and issues

·        determine the major influences on Truman as the policies of containment and the Truman Doctrine are developed

Recommended time frame

2 class periods

Grade level

Grade 11-12

Curriculum fit

American National Government, United States History

Materials

Computer and LCD projector, computer lab (optional)

Western Dubuque American National Government Standards and Benchmarks                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                               Back to Navigation Bar

3.  Understand the roles of government, private institutions, and the citizenry in the making of public policy.

3.7  Describe the people and factors that influence Presidential decision making.

4.  Understand the role of the United States in the world.

4.2  Explain the major turning points in America’s global role over the last century and how foreign policy was affected by each of these.

Procedures                                                                                                            Back to Navigation Bar

Day One:

• Begin the lesson with a review of Truman becoming Vice President, his lack of previous foreign policy experience, FDR’s death, and the end of WWII, including Truman learning of the Manhattan Project through the use of atomic weapons. (This was covered in American Studies the previous year, so as much as possible this will be a discussion-recall activity.)  Use the following Library of Congress links as visuals:

-Truman http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3b10000/3b17000/3b17400/3b17497r.jpg

- Swearing in as President

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsc/02800/02890v.jpg

- Potsdam

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photographs/displayimage.php?pointer=394&people=&listid=9

• Introduce and discuss the term “Cold War” and what this meant to Americans and American foreign policy from the end of WWII until the fall of the Soviet Union.  This would briefly include the Korean and Vietnam wars, aid and trade policies, military alliances, nuclear weapons, and funding of various governments and/or rebels. (This was also included in American Studies the previous year.) This provides the context for students to understand the impact of Truman’s decisions.  Use the following Library of Congress links as visuals:

- 1930 Socialist pamphlet

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbpe&fileName=rbpe20/rbpe208/20804800/
rbpe20804800.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?rbpebib:1:./temp/~ammem_1cvd::&linkText=0

- Cartoon: Intolerance

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b33088

- Cartoon: Ambidextrous

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c19708

- Cartoon: Hunting Communists

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/images/s03380u.jpg

• Using the Chronology from “Ideological Foundations of the Cold War” of the Harry S. Truman library and Museum website:

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/coldwar/index.php?action=chrono

            students begin to place events leading up to the

            Truman Doctrine.

• Students are divided into 5 groups.  Each group is given copies of or links to a memo, report, telegram (or excerpts) written for Truman by an advisor.  Students are to research the author, and read, summarize, and analyze the writing.  Background on the authors/advisors may be researched at many different websites.  The following memos, reports, and telegrams should be used:

- Telegram, George Kennan to George Marshall ["Long Telegram"], February 22, 1946.  http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/coldwar/
documents/index.php?documentdate=1946-02-22&documentid=6-6&studycollectionid=&pagenumber=1

            -  Telegram, Josef Stalin to Harry S. Truman,

            with related material, April 6, 1946. (Gen. Walter Bedell Smith) http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/
study_collections/coldwar/documents/index.php?date=1946-04-06&documentid=3-3&print=true

-  Secretary of Commerce Henry A. Wallace to President Harry S. Truman, July 23, 1946. 
    http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6906

-  Memo, Joint Chiefs of Staff to Harry S. Truman, July 26, 1946. (Admiral William D. Leahy) http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/coldwar/documents/
index.php?date=1946-07-26&documentid=7-1&print=true

- Report, "American Relations With The Soviet

Union" by Clark Clifford ["Clifford-Elsey Report"], September 24, 1946.  (use excerpts from this report) http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/coldwar/
documents/index.php?date=1946-09-24&documentid=4-1&print=true

• Students are to complete this work and be prepared to present/discuss their person and memo for the next class.  Also see extension for Day One below.

Day Two:

• Students meet in the groups set up last class to discuss their findings.  This should include information about the author, the main points of the writing, and evidence presented to support the author’s conclusions.

• Students then are divided into different groups so that one student representing each reading is in each group.  In these groups students share the information they found on the author of their reading and the important information and analysis provided by the author.

• As a class, students explain major ideas that came from their group work.  It is assumed that some differences in interpretation will be presented, with some discussion and argument to follow.
• Students then read President Truman’s address to Congress recommending assistance to Greece and Turkey, March 12, 1947 (Truman Doctrine)

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/doctrine/large/
documents/index.php?pagenumber=1&documentdate=1947-03-12&documentid=31&studycollectionid=TDoctrine

• Students discuss Truman’s speech as it relates to the documents used, and main evidence presented in the documents that support his decision.

• To complete this lesson, students are to write a 2-3 page essay answering the following: Did President Truman make the right choice in the direction he took on foreign policy with the Soviet Union?  Cite evidence to support this.  Also, what were the long-term effects of his policy decision?  They are to use at least two other sources.  These may be on-line sources or print sources.

Evaluation                                                                                                             Back to Navigation Bar

Students will be evaluated based on quantity and quality of discussion in groups and in the class discussion.  They will also be evaluated on the essay written as a final assessment of this lesson. Rubric

Extension                                                                                                              Back to Navigation Bar

Day One:

Additional primary source documents concerning the Cold War are available on the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum website at: :http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/coldwar/index.php?action=docs

IMAGE

DESCRIPTION

CITATION

URL

Harry Truman, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front, holding pencil

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3b10000/3b17000/3b17400/3b17497r.jpg

To all Central High School cadets ... Join the young pioneers of America! Fight against child labor! Smash the boy scout organization! ... Defend the Soviet Union, the only workers' Fatherland! Young pioneers of America Local unit. [Washington, 1930]

Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbpe&
fileName=rbpe20/rbpe208/20804800/rbpe20804800
.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?rbpebib:1:./temp/~ammem_1cvd::&linkText=0

Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone administering the oath of office to Harry S. Truman in the Cabinet Room of the White House, April 12, 1945.

April 12, 1945.  International News Photo.  Library of Congress.

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsc/02800/02890v.jpg

Stalin, Truman, and Churchill at Potsdam.

Harry S. Truman Library  Independence, Missouri

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photographs/displayimage
.php?pointer=394&people=&listid=9

Intolerance: want of toleration of the opinions or beliefs of others (Webster's)

1946 Sept. 11 [publication date]   1 drawing on layered paper board.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Papers of Bill Mauldin (Library of Congress)
Cartoon Drawings (Library of Congress)

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b33088

Ambidextrous

Cartoon shows Soviet leader Stalin (labeled "Uncle Joe") as a cheerful artist, painting pictures with each hand. One shows an angel with a globe head, labeled "World Unity"; the other shows a devil with a globe head, labeled "World Capitalism."

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c19708

"It's okay – We're hunting Communists" October 31, 1947
Ink, graphite, and opaque white over graphite under drawing on layered paper
Published in the Washington Post (18)

Herblock's Presidents (Herblock's History, Library of Congress).

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/images/s03380u.jpg

Telegram, George Kennan to George Marshall ["Long Telegram"], February 22, 1946.

Harry S. Truman Administration File, Elsey Papers, Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections
/coldwar/documents/index.php?documentdate=1946-02-
22&documentid=6-6&studycollectionid=&pagenumber=1

F.D.R.'s Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace / photo by Harry M. Rhoads.

Western History/Genealogy Department, Denver Public Library

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00186295+Rh-1295

Secretary of Commerce Henry A. Wallace to President Harry S. Truman, July 23, 1946.

Papers of Harry S. Truman, President’s Secretary’s Files, Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6906

Report, "American Relations With The Soviet Union" by Clark Clifford

["Clifford-Elsey Report"], September 24, 1946.

Conway Files, Truman Papers.  Harry S. Truman Library  Independence, Missouri.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study
_collections/coldwar/documents/index.php?dat
e=1946-09-24&documentid=4-1&print=true

William David Leahy, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing right, wearing military uniform

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c23869

Memo, Joint Chiefs of Staff to Harry S. Truman, July 26, 1946.

Subject File, Clifford Papers.  Harry S. Truman Library  Independence, Missouri.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study
_collections/coldwar/documents/index.php?dat
e=1946-07-26&documentid=7-1&print=true

Telegram, Josef Stalin to Harry S. Truman, with related material,

April 6, 1946.

President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers.  Harry S. Truman Library  Independence, Missouri.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study
_collections/coldwar/documents/index.php?date
=1946-04-06&documentid=3-3&print=true

Address of the President of the United States: Recommendation for assistance to Greece and Turkey, March 12, 1947

Elsey Papers.  Harry S. Truman Library  Independence, Missouri.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study
_collections/doctrine/large/documents/index.php
?pagenumber=1&documentdate=1947-03-12&documentid=31&studycollectionid=TDoctrine

EXCELLENT

GOOD

FAIR

POOR

Discussion

Participates actively, uses and applies information from primary sources, questions others and responds to information presented, draws conclusions based on research.

Participates actively, uses information from primary sources, some application, attentive and some responses to others, draws conclusions based on overall information presented.

Some participation, presents some information from primary sources, listens, some responses.

Minimal participation, presents some information, lacks application and analysis, lack of response.

Essay

Use and application of appropriate primary and secondary source material, draws a clear conclusion, supports position with factual evidence, shows understanding of impact of decision, cites sources properly.

Use of primary and secondary sources, draws conclusion, supports with factual evidence, evidence of understanding of impact of decision, sources cited properly.

Uses some primary and secondary source material, completes conclusion, some support for position, shows general understanding of impact of decision, some sources cited properly.

Lacks adequate primary or secondary source material, conclusion lacking or not clear, support weak or nonexistent, lacks understanding of impact of decision, sources not cited or cited improperly.