Truman, Franco’s Spain, and the Cold War

206 Pages·2017·6.87 MB·English

by  Wayne H. Bowen

TRUMAN, FRANCO’S SPAIN, AND THE
COLD WAR

TRUMAN, FRANCO’S SPAIN, AND THE
COLD WAR
Wayne H. Bowen
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI PRESS
Columbia
Copyright © 2017 by
The Curators of the University of Missouri
University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri 65211
Printed and bound in the United States of America
All rights reserved. First printing, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8262-2117-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016961091
This paper meets the requirements of the
American National Standard for Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, Z39.48, 1984.
Typefaces: Bembo, Lucida Sans
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 3
Chapter 1 Young Harry’s Two Wars, 1884-1918 11
Chapter 2 Senator Truman, the Spanish Civil War
and World War II 33
Chapter 3 No Love for Franco, 1945-1947 55
Chapter 4 A Necessary Evil, 1947-1949 79
Chapter 5 Magnified by Controversy, 1949-1951 99
Chapter 6 Reluctant Allies, 1951-1953 127
Conclusion 153
Notes 159
Bibliography 187
Index 193
[ v ]

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Completing a book, from research phases to the final writing, is too often
a solitary occupation, enabled by sacrificing human interaction. Because of
this, my first expression of thanks must be to my family— Kendra, Sam, and
Nathan— who have endured me spending more time with Harry Truman
and Francisco Franco than any of us anticipated or wanted. The comple-
tion of this book accelerated as I looked forward to more time with my
beautiful bride and delightful sons, and fewer caffeinated evenings with this
manuscript.
For the project itself, I am thankful to the confidence of the University of
Missouri Press and its exemplary Editor in Chief and Associate Director, Mr.
Clair Willcox, with whom I have had the pleasure of working with on three
previous books. Patient, inquisitive, and supportive, he is the editor every
author deserves, and every press needs. I am also grateful to the financial
assistance provided by the research grant program of the Harry S. Truman
Library Institute, which made possible the second of two research weeks at
the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri. At
the Truman Library, archivist Tammy Williams was especially helpful and
creative as I searched for materials on a topic Truman himself did his best to
avoid.
Research for this book was also supported through a multinational con-
sortium of scholars, collaborating on a project, “The United States, Germa-
ny, Great Britain, Japan and their Relations with Spain during the Second
World War and the early Postwar (1939–1953)” (Proyecto HAR2012- 30.848
Estados Unidos, Alemania, Gran Bretaña, Japón y sus relaciones con España (1939–
1953): Nuevas perspectivas), funded by the European Union, the Kingdom
of Spain, and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
On this venture, I am most grateful to Joan Maria Thomàs, project director,
[ vii ]
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
accomplished scholar, and colleague generous with his time and ideas.
As a scholar who came to know Truman and studies about him only re-
cently, I would also like to express my gratitude to the many accomplished
historians who have done so much to reveal the personalities and policies of
the thirty-third president. While the bibliography and notes give credit to
those sources used for this manuscript, I would especially like to express my
admiration for Dr. Alonzo Hamby, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of His-
tory at Ohio University, whose Man of the People: A Life of Harry S. Truman
remained a guide and a joy to read, even at times when I had temporarily
lost enthusiasm for this project in the midst of complicated issues or sparse
sources.
Closer to home, I appreciated professional development funds from the De-
partment of History and College of Liberal Arts at Southeast Missouri State
University for this project, indispensable as a supplement to other resources.
I also remain grateful for the assistance of Special Collections at Southeast
Missouri State University, as well as the rest of the Kent Library staff. I am
also grateful to Kevin Coffee for logistical assistance during the final writing
phases. I would also like to thank the staff of the Biblioteca Nacional and
Fundación Nacional Francisco Franco in Madrid, the Archivo General de
la Administración in Alcalá de Henares, and the National Archives and Re-
cords Administration in College Park, Maryland, for facilitating my research.
Finally, I appreciate the support of my departmental colleagues in this
endeavor, as they encouraged me to complete this book, allowed me to share
my small victories along the way, commiserated over my research and writ-
ing frustrations, and provided me an amicable workplace of true friends and
peers that make scholarship easier. It is a joy to be part of a community of
scholars who value each other’s work, while remembering that our primary
intellectual obligation is to our students.
Wayne H. Bowen
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
June 2016
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TRUMAN, FRANCO’S SPAIN, AND THE
COLD WAR