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Hardly any President of the United States weighed his words more precisely, no one probably had stronger nerves than Harry S. Truman: Not even a failed assassination attempt in front of his window unsettled him.

So why did the 33rd US President on the morning of November 30, 1950, with his answers to two journalists' questions, trigger "extreme international tensions", as WELT reported at the time?

On December 3, 1950, US President Harry S. Truman was demonstratively in a good mood

Source: Getty Images

It was the 246th press conference of his term in office.

Mainly it was about the situation in Korea.

For four weeks now, it is no longer just US troops who have been fighting there on behalf of the United Nations against the attackers from the communist-ruled North Korea.

From the beginning of November 1950, hundreds of thousands of men flooded the theater of war from the People's Republic of China, which was also communist, and with their sheer numbers drove back the units under the command of US General Douglas MacArthur.

Truman discussed this for a few minutes before opening the question and answer session.

Eleven journalists asked questions, some fundamentally, some more about details;

only the twelfth accredited reporter got to the heart of the matter.

According to the official record, he immediately followed on from the President's previous remark: "We will take all necessary steps to cope with the military situation, as we have always done."

Chronicle of over 60 years of enmity

Korea is a divided country.

War broke out in 1950 between the competing occupying powers, the Soviet Union and the USA.

Despite the ceasefire from 1953, the conflict between North and South continues to this day.

Source: N24 / Katharina Kuhnert

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The question was short and sweet: "Does that include the atomic bomb?" As if shot from a pistol, Truman replied: "That includes every weapon we have."

Of course, the journalist wanted to know more: “Mr.

President, you said, 'Every weapon we have.'

Does that mean that the use of the atomic bomb is being actively considered? ”Truman explained:“ There was and will always be actively considered about using it. ”But he immediately added:“ I do not want the atomic bomb to be used.

It is a terrible weapon and it should not be used against innocent men, women and children. "

But that did not end the subject, because the reporter but one on the list of questions picked it up again: “Mr.

President, did I understand you correctly that the use of the atomic bomb is currently under discussion? ”Truman's answer was short and sweet:“ He always has.

It is one of our weapons. "

A Mark 4 atomic bomb, the most modern weapon in the United States in the fall of 1950

Source: Wikimedia / Public Domain

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When asked again “Does this mean the use against military targets or civil ones?” The President replied: “This is a matter that the military will have to decide.

I don't interfere in such things. ”The journalist persisted and asked whether nuclear weapons would only be used after approval by the United Nations Security Council.

Truman said no;

the decision lies with the local commander.

The US president, who has always been so controlled, apparently did not expect the public reaction to this press conference.

There was a threat of revolt in the British Labor Party, the ruling party of the most important US ally: More than 100 MPs wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Clement Attlee demanding that British troops be withdrawn from Korea if the atom bomb were to be used.

These fighter planes shaped the Korean War

In the war that raged between communist north and pro-western south Korea from 1950 to 1953, a mixture of state-of-the-art and obsolete weapons was used - on both sides.

These were the fighter jets that hit each other.

Source: WORLD

The French Prime Minister René Pleven and his Foreign Minister Robert Schuman hastily announced that they would come to London for consultations before Attlee set off on a trip to Washington, which was also at very short notice.

India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru intervened from New Delhi, and UN Secretary General Trygve Halvdan Lie received a representative from China in New York.

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Faced with the foreseeable violent reaction in the near future, Truman's staff issued a statement just hours after the press conference saying, "The President wants to ensure that his answers to questions at his press conference today on the use of the atomic bomb are not misinterpreted."

Competitors for public opinion: Harry S. Truman and General Douglas MacArthur 1950

Source: Getty Images

Then followed the elaboration of Truman's quick answer and the first sentence of his following answer.

Or was it an afterthought?

“Of course, this issue has been considered since the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, as has the use of all available weapons when our forces are in combat.

The availability of a weapon always leads to questions as to whether it should be used. "

The next sentence of the statement put Truman's remark in context: “It should be emphasized, however, that under the law only the president can authorize the use of the atomic bomb and there is currently no such authorization.

If such a permit should be granted, the military commander on site would be responsible for the decision on the target of the nuclear weapon. ”The conclusion of the communiqué sounded almost a little indignant:“ In summary, the answers to the questions at today's press conference do not change this Situation. "

The entire C company of the 24th US Infantry Regiment surrendered to the Red Chinese Army in Korea on November 25, 1950

Source: Universal Images Group via Getty

So what happened?

Was there an overreaction of the world public because the US President had done nothing but reaffirm the US government’s already known position?

On the contrary, did he want to send a signal to Beijing, but of course also to Moscow?

Or had he just run over the horses?

In the second volume of his memoirs, published in 1956, Truman pointedly remarked that despite his clear words and the subsequent clarification of the staff, the news continued to report "I had threatened the use of the atomic bomb in Korea".

But he couldn't avoid Attlee: “He and I were sitting alone, and he asked me whether my statement at the recent press conference was intended as an indication that we might be thinking more actively about the use of the atomic bomb?

I assured him that nothing of the kind was intended. "

Clement Attlee in Washington in December 1950.

Sitting next to him is Harry S. Truman, US Secretary of State Dean Acheson on the left and Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall on the right

Source: Getty Images

In the joint US-British declaration at the end of the visit, however, Truman then added a remark that could actually be understood as a threat - if that was not already intended on November 30, 1950: “The President declares it his Hope that the world situation will never require the use of the atomic bomb. ”So far, so well known.

But then another sentence followed: "The President promised the Prime Minister to inform him if there were developments that change this situation." At least now the ice-cold poker player Truman was completely under control again.

Only four and a half months later, on April 11, 1951, the President dismissed his most important active member of the military, the Commander-in-Chief in Korea: Douglas MacArthur - because the five-star general had demanded the use of atomic bombs.

But MacArthur firmly denied it.

Indeed, there is no document from 1951 in which he made such a claim.

But this is another story.

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