The Dulles Doctrine

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 464.

Http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/truman_doctrine.htm

Allen Welsh Dulles (1893 – 1969) was an American diplomat, lawyer, banker, and public official who became the first civilian and the longest-serving (1953–1961) Director of Central Intelligence (de facto head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency) and a member of the Warren Commission. The Dulles' plan or the Dulles Doctrine is the central document of a conspiracy theory, according to which the CIA chief Allen Dulles had developed a plan for United States to destroy the Soviet Union during the Cold war by secretly corrupting the cultural heritage and moral values of the Soviet nation. The plan was first published in Russia shortly after the dissolution of the USSR and was often quoted by prominent Russian politicians, journalists and writers.

The early 1950s were an extraordinary time in American history. President Dwight D. Eisenhower presided over what at the time was the largest economic boom in history. The early 1950s was also a period of tense international relations in the early Cold War. Few political figures played as important a role in the early Cold War as Eisenhower's Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Dulles was an ardent anti-communist who developed some of the most influential policies of the Cold War.

The first policy designed by Dulles relied on the use of nuclear weapons and Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD. Mutually assured destruction was the theory that stated a nuclear attack by either the United States or the Soviet Union on the other would prompt a reciprocal attack large enough to destroy both powers. Dulles believed that if the Soviets were faced with MAD they would back down. His idea of "Brinksmanship" was to take the Soviets to the brink of nuclear war in a crisis and see which side gave in. In essence brinksmanship was a game of nuclear chicken. Dulles was once asked whether he understood the policy of brinksmanship would result in the deaths of millions, Dulles responded he knew where he was going when he died and he knew where the communists were going.

The next policy Dulles supported was the domino theory, although he did not give it the name. The domino theory states that once one country falls to communism, the surrounding countries are likely to come under communist rule, like dominoes knocking down the next in the row. Because of this belief Dulles pushed for strong anti-communist support around the world. This is fact was a continuation of the Truman Doctrine from the previous administration. The goal was to contain communism to where it existed and not allow it to expand to any further countries. Because of Dulles' belief in the domino theory he was a strong supporter of aiding the French in Vietnam, and then taking their place once they were defeated. He also was a strong advocate of the defense of Taiwan against the People's Republic of China.

The third major policy advocated by John Foster Dulles was forward basing. Forward basing was a direct connection to the domino theory. In order to respond to communist aggression the United States had to have a military presence around the globe. Dulles saw the United States was able to respond in Korea in 1950s only because General McCarthur was head of a large occupation force in Japan. Dulles believed similar military presence was necessary elsewhere to deter the communists or defeat them when needed. The policies of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles helped guide American foreign policy for decades. In an era of prominent political figures, Dulles was near the top. http://keviin.hubpages.com/hub/The_Policies_of_John_Foster_Dulles