Harry S. Truman and the War Scare of 1948: A Successful Campaign to Deceive the NationHarry S. Truman and the War Scare of 1948 reveals how during the first half of 1948, Truman and the two most important members of his cabinet, Marshall and Forrestal, systematically deceived Congress and the public into thinking that the U.S.S.R. was about to launch World War III with an invasion of Western Europe. As Professor Kofsky demonstrates, however, virtually every intelligence report coming into Washington - from military and civilian sources alike - asserted the exact opposite: that the Soviets were far too exhausted from battling the Nazis even to think about undertaking such an attack. By making use of previously classified records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Kofsky shows that Truman and his associates were willing to lie to the country in order to push through their foreign policy program, inaugurate a huge military buildup, and bail out the near-bankrupt aircraft industry. The lack of scruple with which high-ranking members of the Truman administration misrepresented Soviet intentions and the profoundly damaging repercussions of Truman's duplicity are just two of the many important subjects that Kofsky treats in this disturbing and engrossing book. It will force us to see both the Cold War and Truman in a new light. |
Contents
Takeoff Aborted | 47 |
Setting the Stage | 83 |
Attacking the Foe | 123 |
The Fruits of Victory | 169 |
The Peace Scare of May 1948 | 215 |
Of Presidents and Precedents | 233 |
Common terms and phrases
ACC Papers administration's Administrative Secretary Air Board Air Coordinating Committee Air Policy Commission aircraft companies Aircraft Industries Association aircraft manufacturers aircraft procurement airplanes ambassador April Armed Services Committee Aviation Week Berlin blockade budget C. P. Trussell Chamberlin chapter Chief of Staff Clark Clifford Clay telegram Clifford Cold War Communist Congress Correspondence Control Section December Department Douglas Eberstadt Entry 53 estimate February Finletter folder Forrestal Diaries Forrestal Papers Forrestal's FRUS Gross Papers Harry hereafter HSTL intelligence James Forrestal March March 17 March 26 Marshall Plan Marshall's meeting Memorandum million Morrow Board Navy Numerical File Office PAPC Pentagon percent political president President's Air Policy production Republican RG 340 Secretary Russian Secretary of Defense selective service Senate Armed Services September 1947-June Soviet intentions Soviet Union Spaatz Stalin Statement Stuart Symington Symington Papers Truman administration U.S. Government United Walter Bedell Smith Washington Western Europe World York