FDR’s Death

On April 12, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. Just three months earlier, he was inaugurated for the fourth time. In the election of 1944, he defeated his opponent by 333 electoral votes and about 3.6 million votes, which were his smallest victory margins yet, despite being so significant. Roosevelt broke the two-term tradition by running in, and winning, four presidential elections. He was in office for a total of 12 years and three months, making him America’s longest-standing president.

For a while, Roosevelt’s health had been deteriorating, noticeable through his ashen-gray complexion and physical weakness. An examination from March 1944 revealed that the president was diagnosed with bronchitis, high blood pressure, and a variety of heart ailments. Although there were a few rumors about his health, the American public was generally unaware of Roosevelt’s conditions. At the time of his death, Roosevelt was at a retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he had hoped to rest and regain his strength. While posing for a portrait, he suddenly reported a pain in the back of his head and fainted. He was pronounced dead just two hours later.

When Roosevelt died, the war in Europe was coming to a close, with the Yalta Conference already happening in February. However, Hitler was still alive and Germany would not unconditionally surrender until May. In addition, America was still in the midst of war in the Pacific. Roosevelt’s death shocked, distressed, and saddened many people throughout the world, including Churchill, Stalin, the American public, and Vice President Harry Truman. 

Truman took oath of office the same day Roosevelt passed away, after Eleanor informed him of the news. He had large shoes to fill as Roosevelt had guided the nation through the Great Depression and most of World War II. In his diary, Truman wrote about feeling unprepared for the job, saying, “I was handicapped by lack of knowledge of both foreign and domestic affairs—due principally to Mr. Roosevelt’s inability to pass on responsibility.” Roosevelt kept a lot of important information hidden from his vice president, including the development of the atomic bomb. His death left Truman with the incredibly difficult decision of whether to continue the project and eventually use the bomb. 

Overall, Roosevelt’s time at the white house permanently impacted the policy for future presidents. Congress passed the 22nd amendment in 1947, which was ratified by the states in 1951. This set an official limit of two 4-year terms in office. Furthermore, the responsibilities of the vice president changed because of how Roosevelt’s sudden death left Truman unprepared. In the future, vice presidents would be more informed about domestic and foreign affairs to ensure a smoother succession, should anything happen to the president.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/how-f-d-r-s-death-changed-the-vice-presidency

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-dies

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/fdrdeath.htm

https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt/death-of-the-president

https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1944