When Democrat Harry S Truman succeeded Roosevelt at the conclusion of World
War II, he was committed to accommodating the
Soviets and structuring a peaceful post-
war global system. Before his Presidency ended, the United States was involved in an armed conflict in Korea, and the Cold War was firmly entrenched. Thirty years later, Republican President Ronald Reagan was elected on a strong anti-Soviet stance. A decade later, he had overseen the end of the Cold War. This discussion assesses the foreign policy of these two presidents and compares and contrasts the shifts during their time in office.