| Original caption: “Truman, Byrnes, and Leahy touring Berlin. President Harry S. Truman, Secretary of State James Byrnes, and Fleet Admiral William Leahy (left to right in the rear seat of the car) inspect the ruins of Hitler’s Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. President Truman is in Germany to attend the Potsdam Conference. Standing on President Truman’s side of the car is Major General Harry Vaughan.” United States Army Major General H. Hawkins Vaughan (November 26, 1893 – May 20, 1981) speaks to United States President Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) in the 1939 Lincoln Model K “Sunshine Special” limousine in front of the Reichskanzlei (Reich Chancellory) extension at Wilhelmstraße 78. Architects Eduard Jobst Settler (March 7, 1880 – February 1, 1949) and Robert Kish (March 18, 1897 – July 16, 1977) won a contest to design the Reichskanzlei extension in the spring of 1927. 200,000 Reichsmarks (about 1,000,000 United States dollars in 2025) were allocated for construction. During the Nazi era, the balcony seen in the photo was added during the summer of 1935. Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP – National Socialist German Workers’ Party) architect Albert Speer (March 19, 1905 – September 1, 1981) demolished part of the Reichskanzlei extension and added a bronze double door that served as the main entrance and extended across the 1st floor to open onto a “Courtyard of Honor” for which Speer demolished the south and west wings of the building. The Reichskanzlei extension contained Führer und Reichskanzler (“Leader and Reichchancellor”) Adolf Hitler’s (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) office until the Neue Reichskanzlei (“New Reich Chancellory”) was completed in January 1938. Soviet Premier and Dictator Joseph Stalin (December 6, 1878 – March 5, 1953) had not yet arrived in Potsdam, so the Conference opening was postponed. President Truman toured Berlin on July 16, 1945. Truman left the “Little White House” at Ringstraße 23 in Babelsberg at 1540 Hours, accompanied by Secretary of State James F. Byrnes (May 2, 1882 – April 9, 1972) and United States Navy Admiral William D. Leahy (May 6, 1875 – July 20, 1959). Truman reviewed the 2nd Armored Division from a half track, which took 22 minutes to pass the entire 18,000 men and their vehicles, lined up by the road about half way to Berlin. Truman was shocked by the destruction of the city. As they drove into the ruins of Berlin, they were struck at once by the stench of unburied corpses and broken sewers. Truman and Byrnes looked for buildings that had been bombed as opposed to being shelled. The President was depressed by the long lines of old men, women and children as they pushed or pulled what remained of their belongings. He said quietly, “That’s what happens when a man overreaches himself.” Later he wrote in his diary, “I fear machines are ahead of morals by some centuries.” Truman thanked God that the United States mainland had been spared from the war. The party returned to the “Little White House” at 1735 Hours. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0870.jpg |
| Image Size | 887.32 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2309 x 2892 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Harry S. Truman Library and Museum |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | July 16, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Potsdam |
| State or Province | Berlin |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLT-AVC-PHT-63(1454)42 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database