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In 1922, Truman was elected a judge in the Jackson County court, where his duties were administrative rather than judicial. Although he earned a reputation for being honest and efficient in managing county affairs, he was defeated for reelection in 1924. However, he was subsequently elected presiding judge in 1926, and reelected in 1930.

In 1922, Truman was elected a judge in the Jackson County court, where his duties were administrative rather than judicial. Although he earned a reputation for being honest and efficient in managing county affairs, he was defeated for reelection in 1924. However, he was subsequently elected presiding judge in 1926, and reelected in 1930.

==Washington==

==Senate==

Truman won election to the [[United States Senate]] in 1934, and during World War II gained national prominence for serving as chairman of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program - referred to as the "Truman Committee".<ref>http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hst-bio.htm</ref>

Truman won election to the [[United States Senate]] in 1934, and during World War II gained national prominence for serving as chairman of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program - referred to as the "Truman Committee".<ref>http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hst-bio.htm</ref>

He became Vice President for President [[Franklin Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] ("FDR") in 1944 and succeeded to the Presidency upon the death of FDR on April 12, 1945. Interestingly, Truman rarely met with Roosevelt during his tenure as Vice President <ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ht33.html</ref>.

==Selection for Vice-Presidency==

 

President Roosevelt had been in ill-health since his return from the [[Teheran conference]]. At the 1944 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, DNC Chairman Bob Hannegan went for instructions to President Roosevelt's private railway car just before the July convention officially began. Roosevelt had decided to dump incumbent Vice-President [[Henry Wallace]]. Worried over dissension on the choice of a successor, Roosevelt told Hannegan: "Go on down there and nominate Truman before there's any more trouble. And clear everything with Sidney." <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,791619,00.html "Clear everything with Sidney"], [[Time magazine]], Sep. 25, 1944.</ref>  The President could not make the selection of Truman until [[Sidney Hillman]] <ref>''Roosevelt Myth'', Book 2, Ch. 8[http://www.rooseveltmyth.com/book/fdrmyth_Chapter_Eight___The_Shock_Troops.htm ''The Shock Troops of the Third New Deal''], Flynn, 1948.</ref>, Director of the Political Action Committee for the [[Congress on Industrial Organizations]] (CIO) approved it. <ref> ''The Roosevelt Myth'', John T. Flynn, Fox and Wilkes, 1948, Book 3, Chapter 10, [http://www.rooseveltmyth.com/book/fdrmyth_Chapter_Ten___Politics__Disease_.htm Politics, Disease and History]</ref> When Harry Truman walked into the smoke-filled room <ref>[http://www.booknotes.org/Transcript/index_print.asp?ProgramID=1109 ‘’Truman’’], Interview with David McCullough, C-Span Booknotes, July 19, 1992.  Retrieved August 6, 2007.</ref> of DNC at headquarters at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago, Soviet spies [[John Abt]], [[Lee Pressman]], and [[Nathan Witt]], were on hand." <ref>’’The Yalta Betrayal’’, Felix Wittmer, Claxton Printers, 1953, pg. 75.</ref>

 

 

Truman succeeded to the Presidency upon the death of FDR on April 12, 1945. Interestingly, Truman rarely met with Roosevelt during his tenure as Vice President <ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ht33.html</ref>.

He was elected [[President of the United States of America]] (USA) in 1948 as a [[Democrat]]. During his term as President, he presided over the conclusion of [[World War II]] in both [[Europe]] and [[Japan]]. Truman's decision to use atomic weapons against the Japanese cities of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] forced the unconditional Japanese surrender to conclude WWII. As a consequence, the United States canceled a planned invasion of the island nation which had been projected to cause 1,000,000 American and 10,000,000 Japanese casualties, and prevented the annexation of Japan's northern islands by the Soviet Union<ref>http://www.afsc.org/newengland/pesp/DecisionToUseABomb.htm</ref><ref>http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20050902-atom-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-enola.shtml</ref>. Prior to Japan's surrender, [[Nazi]] German troops and their Axis allies surrendered in Europe. Truman proclaimed his [[Truman Doctrine]] on March 12, 1947 that was intended to thwart the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republic]]'s designs of expansion in the Near East by committing American aid and troops to that region. Truman also committed troops to the Korean Peninsula in 1950 to halt a [[Communist]] invasion of [[South Korea]]. American troops were part of a coalition of member nations of the newly formed [[United Nations]] ("UN") in 1945. The USA had become a founding member of the newly established UN during Truman's presidency.  

He was elected [[President of the United States of America]] (USA) in 1948 as a [[Democrat]]. During his term as President, he presided over the conclusion of [[World War II]] in both [[Europe]] and [[Japan]]. Truman's decision to use atomic weapons against the Japanese cities of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] forced the unconditional Japanese surrender to conclude WWII. As a consequence, the United States canceled a planned invasion of the island nation which had been projected to cause 1,000,000 American and 10,000,000 Japanese casualties, and prevented the annexation of Japan's northern islands by the Soviet Union<ref>http://www.afsc.org/newengland/pesp/DecisionToUseABomb.htm</ref><ref>http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20050902-atom-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-enola.shtml</ref>. Prior to Japan's surrender, [[Nazi]] German troops and their Axis allies surrendered in Europe. Truman proclaimed his [[Truman Doctrine]] on March 12, 1947 that was intended to thwart the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republic]]'s designs of expansion in the Near East by committing American aid and troops to that region. Truman also committed troops to the Korean Peninsula in 1950 to halt a [[Communist]] invasion of [[South Korea]]. American troops were part of a coalition of member nations of the newly formed [[United Nations]] ("UN") in 1945. The USA had become a founding member of the newly established UN during Truman's presidency.