• American presidents usually had a fairly free hand when it came to carrying out foreign affairs. However, if they signed up to any agreements they had to get approval from the US Congress.
  
• Truman's speech gave a detailed account of all the issues covered at Potsdam. This extract focuses on Truman's decisions about America's use of the atomic bomb.
  
• Truman made the speech on August 10th 1945. The USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan on August 6th (Hiroshima) and 9th (Nagasaki) 1945.
  
• Truman told Stalin about the bomb at the Potsdam Conference. Truman thought that Stalin did not understand what he was talking about. Stalin thought that Truman was trying to intimidate him.