Andrew E. Busch. Truman's Triumphs: The 1948 Election and the Making of Postwar America. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2012. 272 pp. $19.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-7006-1867-5.

Reviewed by William Taylor

Published on H-War (September, 2013)

Commissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University)

In Truman’s Triumphs, Andrew E. Busch surprised many Americans. Truman defeated (Crown Professor of Government and George R. Dewey and the Democrats won a landslide. Busch Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College) clearly demonstrates that the importance of the provides an insightful analysis of the 1948 elec‐ election was not solely Truman’s well-known tion and its broader implications for American so‐ presidential victory. Democrats also gained seven‐ ciety. Busch’s work spans the entire year of 1948, ty-fve seats in the House of Representatives, nine culminating with the election on November 2, seats in the Senate, fve governorships, and an 1948. Busch also provides context from events im‐ overall advantage in state legislatures. The deci‐ mediately before and after the pivotal election. sive 1948 election meant that Democrats con‐ Two years prior, in the 1946 midterm election, Re‐ trolled the presidency, the House, the Senate, and publicans gained solid control of both the House they held notable advantages among state govern‐ of Representatives (246–188) and the Senate (51– ments. 45) for the frst time since 1928. It was on this Busch’s purpose in Truman’s Triumphs is high tide that Republicans entered the political straightforward. His goal is to analyze the 1948 fray in 1948. Governor of New York and Republi‐ election, paying heightened attention to the nomi‐ can presidential nominee Thomas E. Dewey nation process, the congressional elections, and squared of against Democratic incumbent Presi‐ public opinion. Joining other scholars, Busch ar‐ dent Harry S. Truman. Two third-party chal‐ gues that the 1948 election was a validation of the lenges, Henry A. Wallace of the Progressive Party domestic policy of the New Deal, of the foreign and J. Strom Thurmond of the States’ Rights policy of containment, and of the federal policy Democratic Party, splintered from the Democratic advocating civil rights. Busch contributes the Party to challenge openly Truman’s campaign. unique interpretation that the 1948 election When the dramatic election ended, the results demonstrated both the “resilience” and “vulnera‐ H-Net Reviews bility” of the New Deal coalition (p. 210). He points election gains with organized labor, Western out that although Truman trailed in the polls and farmers, African Americans, and Jewish voters. came from behind, he also had signifcant advan‐ Busch underscores the fact that Truman adopted tages such as the New Deal coalition. In addition, the document and writes that it “laid the ground‐ Busch proves that although the Democrats suf‐ work for his entire 1948 strategy” (pp. 35-36). fered from obvious schisms, the Republicans were Third, Busch examines the divisions in both less noticeably but no less critically divided. political parties, focusing mainly on the primary Truman’s Triumphs is deeply researched and elections. Among Democrats, Henry Wallace early supported by a variety of sources. Busch provides on challenged Truman from the left by announc‐ extensive notes documenting memoirs, speeches, ing his candidacy on December 29, 1947. Truman, memos, polls, newspapers, magazines, and a wide the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and the array of secondary sources. In addition, Busch Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) suc‐ provides useful appendices that include the 1948 cessfully parried Wallace’s early attacks. Wallace’s Republican primary results, the 1948 presidential accommodating stance on Communism eventual‐ general election results, and both Truman’s nomi‐ ly sufered from worsened international condi‐ nation acceptance speech (July 15, 1948) and inau‐ tions resulting from the February 25, 1948 Com‐ gural address (January 20, 1949). Rounding out munist coup in Czechoslovakia and the Berlin air‐ the work is a robust and highly informative bibli‐ lift. Among Republicans, Stassen won important ographic essay. primary victories in Wisconsin and Nebraska, Busch organizes his work into seven chapters. where he garnered roughly 40 percent and 43 First, he contextualizes the 1948 election, both do‐ percent of the vote respectively. mestically through the economy and internation‐ Fourth, Busch explores the conventions of the ally through the legacy of World War II. Economi‐ Republican, Democratic, States’ Rights Democrat‐ cally, infation was the key issue and union ic, and Progressive parties. The four separate con‐ strength was potent, with approximately ffteen ventions occurred in approximately four weeks million union members nationwide. Also, im‐ during late June and July 1948, with three of the proved economic opportunities resulted in signif‐ four held in Philadelphia. Busch stresses the cant migration of African Americans from the unique importance of the Republican convention South to the North, increasing their political pow‐ on June 21, 1948 due to the substantial rifts er and making civil rights a heightened issue. In‐ among Republicans. Busch contends that “the Re‐ ternationally, the Cold War congealed as Poland, publican nomination was the arena where some Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania all became Sovi‐ of the most important questions of 1948 had al‐ et satellites by 1948. ready been decided” (p. 103). The outcome was Second, Busch analyzes the candidates for the the unanimous nomination of Dewey on the third presidency in the 1948 election. These included ballot, with governor of California Earl Warren Democrats Harry Truman, Henry Wallace, and chosen as the candidate for vice president. Strom Thurmond. Standing in opposition were Re‐ Fifth, Busch details the general election cam‐ publicans Thomas Dewey, Robert Taft, Harold paigns beginning after the conventions. Busch un‐ Stassen, and Douglas MacArthur. Busch highlights derscores Truman’s “Turnip Day” special session the importance of “The Politics of 1948,” a plan‐ of Congress beginning July 26, 1948. Truman de‐ ning document for Truman’s campaign composed manded that Congress pass legislation on the cen‐ in late 1947 by attorney James Rowe and presi‐ tral issues outlined in both his January 7, 1948 dential advisor Clark Cliford. The plan sought State of the Union message and his February 2,

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1948 civil rights address. Truman gave Congress his efective choice for vice president, Alben W. only two weeks, during which time Congress Barkley. passed some minor legislation but nothing of im‐ Busch is adept at leveraging humorous anec‐ port. Such a bold move forced Republicans to con‐ dotes. He relates the savvy intelligence capabili‐ vert the rhetoric of their own platform into action ties of the Dewey campaign to the less stellar Taft or simply do nothing. They chose the latter. Even campaign during the Republican primary. The though Dewey appeared ahead throughout the Taft campaign ordered ten thousand copies of entire election, Truman’s active campaign won 24 This Week in Philadelphia for delegates, “not real‐ million votes, 28 states, and 304 electoral votes, izing until it was too late that Dewey’s picture was while Dewey’s passive campaign won 22 million on the cover” (pp. 100-101). Most importantly, votes, 16 states, and 189 electoral votes. Even Busch reveals infuential factors propelling Tru‐ though the result was the ffth consecutive presi‐ man towards victory that are not commonly ex‐ dential victory for Democrats, Busch wisely re‐ amined. As he convincingly contends, “under the minds readers how close the election was. Tru‐ surface, the picture was more hopeful for Tru‐ man collected only 49.5 percent of the national man’s reelection prospects than observers sus‐ popular vote, the third lowest percentage for an pected. There were signs that could have been incumbent since 1832. pieced together but rarely were” (p. 152). In Tru‐ Sixth, Busch assesses the congressional and man’s Triumphs, Busch illuminates many of those state elections that also occurred during the 1948 “signs,” articulates how they contributed to a election. Busch transcends the traditional narra‐ landslide victory for Democrats, and explains the tive focused solely on the presidential contest and far-reaching consequences of the election, namely delves deeply into the other elections where keeping the New Deal intact, advancing civil Democrats won a landslide. Democrats gained rights, and securing bipartisan support of contain‐ nine seats in the Senate, resulting in a 54–42 ma‐ ment that would last throughout most of the Cold jority. In addition, Democrats added seventy-fve War. seats in the House for a 262–172 majority. Perhaps more importantly, this success ushered in future about Democratic leaders such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey, and Estes Kefauver. Finally, Democrats won fve governorships for a 28–20 ad‐ vantage nationwide and reaped a 19–16 lead in state legislatures. Seventh, Busch considers the aftermath of the elections, paying particular attention to how the election shaped postwar America. The 1948 elec‐ tion would be the last election in which television was not a signifcant factor. It would be the frst election cementing bipartisan support of contain‐ ment. In the end, Truman connected to specifc groups with issues that did not always resonate as strongly with the broader public. Foreign policy and world events certainly helped Truman, as did

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Citation: William Taylor. Review of Busch, Andrew E. Truman's Triumphs: The 1948 Election and the Making of Postwar America. H-War, H-Net Reviews. September, 2013.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=38748

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