Throughout World War II, Walter “Beetle” Smith fought on two fronts. As Eisenhower’s chief of staff, he battled Ike’s prickly subordinates like Gen. George “Blood and Guts” Patton, as well as the Germans. It gave him hundreds of sleepless nights and a bleeding stomach. At war’s end, Beetle yearned for recognition, promotion, and a little rest. Instead Truman ordered him to Russia as U.S. ambassador. Upon hearing of the appointment, one of Ike’s friends declared, “Serves those bastards [the Soviets] right.”

The president picked Smith because he wanted a tough U.S. negotiator in Moscow. And Beetle made it crystal clear to the Kremlin that Washington was no patsy. “We are fully conscious of our own strength…,” the general informed the Soviet Foreign Minister.