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Eisenhower: Advisers John Foster Dulles Few Secretaries of State have been as apparently powerful as John Foster Dulles. “Apparently” because, like Reagan, many people thought that Eisenhower was a hands-off executive. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Indeed, Dulles, until his resignation late in Eisenhower’s term, was completely subservient to the president’s desires. Thus, while Dulles appeared to be the controlling factor of American policy, in actuality he was little more than a mouthpiece for Eisenhower. The two complemented each other. As historian Robert Divine said, “Ike lacked the stamina and enthusiasm for the daily grind of diplomacy that Dulles took in stride. Though the President was knowledgeable about European issues, he was much weaker on Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Dulles helped fill in many of the gaps in Eisenhower’s understanding of world affairs.” Dulles viewed the Cold War in moralistic, nearly religious terms. In his personal life, he was intensely Christian; his first international post was at the head of a Protestant commission for world peace. Thus, unlike Eisenhower, he was unlikely to compromise on East-West issues. Dulles was a key part of Eisenhower’s “deliberate ambiguity” strategy, since his relentless hostility toward the Soviets allowed him to play “bad cop” to Eisenhower’s “good cop,” threatening massive retaliation while at the same time remaining loyal to his president. Dulles was forced to resign midway through Eisenhower’s second term due to failing health. He died in 1959 of cancer. |
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