Personalities, Roosevelt/Truman

Roosevelt

• Naive in formultaing Decleration of Liberated Europe? US Chief of Staff Admiral Leahy – Soviets could stretch agreement ‘all the way from Yalta to Washington without ever technically breaking it'
• Might it have been better to risk a break with the Soviet Union at Yalta? 
• 'Wrote off EE as Soviet sphere of influence, therefor effectively encouraging Communist Expansion. 
• 1943-44 endorses Soviet sphere. YALTA, attempt to retreive back what had been given away. Roosevelt presided over an inconsistent policy. Tehran, 1944 boundaries, undoubtedly formed guidelines for Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe.
• Rooselvelt's mistake was to view Stalin as just another politician.
• Republican criticism under way since 1944 of foreign policy. Meagre results of Yalta.
• Flexible over Poland because Red Army had already occupied the company. Stalin got on with him. 
• Watned to conclude the War at any cost, Western concecessions to the Soviet Union were necessary to do so. 
• Was successful in Foreign Policy: USSR pledge to fight in Japan (in exchange for Sakhalin Islands and economic rights in Manchuria,) UN, Stalin's recognititon of pro-US Nationliast Chinese Regime. 
• Was not aggressive: regarded the Russians as friendly people with whom he could co-operate.

Truman, naive - Elevation to Presidency generally considered as a significant factor in the development of the Cold War. 

• Inexperienced - 'I feel like I've been struck by a bolt of lightning.'
• Lacked Roosevelt's charisma and public speaking skills. Lacked social and intellectual confidence of his well-connected predecessor. 
• Clifford-Elsey Report July 1946 - aggressive Soviet actions in Iran, Manchuria, ideology was motivation of foreign policy. Soviets inspired by the 'Marxian Theory of ultimate destruction of capitalist states by Communist states.' 
• Sees things…