After the Fact« - Harry S. Truman Spiritualität und Staatskunst

The article illustrates at the example of the use of the atomic bomb that it was in fact Harry S. Truman's perception of an ethic of responsibility as set by his office which led him to act as he did. The autobiographic writings of Truman reveal his personal spirituality had only minor influence on why he made certain political decisions such as permitting the first use of the atomic bomb in a theatre of war and his course of containment after the Second World War. However, Truman turned to spirituality and used it as a concept to argue and defend his decisions. Truman's spirituality only marginally correlated with his lived Weltanschauung.