1-157-875 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

Harry S Truman, 33rd President of the USA, 1945-1953. Truman (1884-1972) took over as President when Franklin D Roosevelt died in April 1945. He led America to victory in World War II, and made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan. Truman won a presidential election in his own right in 1948. In his second term he pursued a policy of containment aimed at restricting the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. He ordered the Berlin airlift to break the Soviet blockade of the city and instigated the NATO pact in 1949. The latter part of his presidency was dominated by America's involvement in the Korean War.