On Allen W. Dulles & the Cold War

Will A. Mueller

HST-252 The Age of the Cold War

Dr. Garfield

November 12, 2012

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Allen Welsh Dulles an American political and diplomatic figure played an

important role in the Cold War from the end of World War II through the Bay of

Pigs invasion of Cuba in April of 1961. Born in New York in 1893 Allen Dulles

graduated from Princeton University in 1916 and entered diplomatic service. Dulles

earned a law degree from George Washington University in 1926, subsequently

joining the law firm of Sullivan and Cromwell with his brother John Foster Dulles.

Dulles was appointed the Station Chief for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

Berne Switzerland in 1942 an integral position for the United Sates during World

War II. In the months after the war in Europe drew to a close Dulles served as the

Berlin Station Chief for the OSS. The United States Congress created the Central

Intelligence Agency in 1947 a process which Dulles had significant involvement.

Dulles also served as a top advisor for the republican presidential nominee Thomas

E. Dewy in 1948. Dulles was intrinsically involved with the creation of the Central

Intelligence Agency and named deputy director in 1951.1

Dulles had many roles in the political and intelligence communities during

the Cold War and contributed in many ways. During World War II as the OSS

Station Chief in Berne Dulles operated as the American liaison with the German

resistance. Dulless also took part in high-level discussions on the postwar

occupation of Germany the situation that ultimately would devolve into the cold

war. The OSS was disbanded in late 1945 as the services served as the wartime

intelligence service; Dulles then reentered the private sector after the disillusion of

the service. Prior to leaving the OSS Dulles gave an update to the Council on Foreign

Relations on the situation in Germany. In this update Dulles very critically provides

1 CNN, "CNN Cold War - Profile: Allen Welsh Dulles." Last modified 2001. Accessed October 5, 2012. Internet Archive.

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an analysis of the early occupation of Germany and the difficulties that were faced.

Dulles spoke on the difficulty in finding Germans for the postwar administration,

stating; Furthermore we had altogether too many rules and regulations dealing

with the Germans to make an adequate supply of men available to us. There were

126 categories of Germans excluded from any activity or from posts in German

administration.2 Dulles was also highly critical of the political division of the

occupation calling the situation entirely unworkable. Also stating It is difficult to

see how the Allies could have done otherwise inasmuch as the Russians would not

consent to British and American domination of Germany and the Americans and

British likewise refused to consider letting Russia get an advantage. 3 Dulles

summation of the situation in Germany spoke largely to the way in which the cold

war developed. Dulles was asked what the prospects for setting up a central

administration in Germany, his response spoke directly to the mounting tensions

with Russia; Until the Russians get out-and there is no indication that they intend

to-there can be no central administration.4

The CIA was heavily involved in many critical actions of the Cold War

specifically in the Middle East, South America & the Caribbean as a response to

Soviet subversion and influence. As the cold war expanded beyond Europe the

Soviet Union turned its attention away from Europe and began to influence and

subvert countries around the world. The United States saw any Soviet involvement

in the western hemisphere as a direct and unacceptable threat to national security.

The CIA, under the leadership of Allen Dulles conducted operations in Iran and

2 Allen W. Dulles, "That Was Then: Allen W. Dulles on the Occupation of Germany ." Foreign Affairs (Council on Foreign Relations ) 82, no. 6 (2003): 2-8. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid.

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Guatemala in the mid 1950s then Cuba in the 1960s. Operation AJAX took place in

August of 1953 a cooperative action between the British intelligence service MI6 and

the Dulles led CIA to remove the freely elected Iranian Prime Minister Prime

Minister Muhammad Musaddiq from office and install a pro-western government.5

The scope of the CIA and MI6s involvement in Iran served a dual purpose, the first

being to prevent the spread of communism to the Middle East, secondly to preserve

western oil interests in the region. Kermit (Kim) Roosevelt briefed Dulles and his

brother Secretary of State John Foster Dulles regarding Operation AJAX and

potential outcomes of a failed operation Iran would fall to the Russians and the

effect on the rest of the Middle East could be disastrous. But I must add this: these

are the same consequences we face if we do nothing.6 Prior to Eisenhower taking

office President Truman had sought a resolution to the situation in Iran that did not

involve U.S. involvement.

While Truman and Acheson were eager to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, Eisenhower and Dulles viewed the situation strictly in Cold War terms. They both harbored strong fears about the spread of Communism, which the climate of the early 1950s (the era of McCarthy's witch-hunts) only exacerbated. First and foremost in their minds was a desire to prevent Iran from going the way of China.7

Operation AJAX was a complicated operation involving the Department of

Defense, the State Department, and the CIA. In order to ensure a successful

operation the Defense Department was instrumental in garnering support of the

Iranian army. Ultimately the operation hinged on support of the Shah, whos

support was one over by Kermit Roosevelt resulting in the issuance of two royal

decrees by the Shah. The first of which removed Musaddiq from office, the second

5 Moyara de Moraes Ruehsen, "Operation 'Ajax' Revisited: Iran, 1953," Middle Eastern Studies, 29, no. 3 (1993): 467-486, 6 Peter Grose, Allen Dulles spymaster: the life & times of the first civilian director of the CIA. New York: Andre Deutsch, (2006): 365, 7 Moyara de Moraes Ruehsen, "Operation 'Ajax' Revisited: Iran, 1953," Middle Eastern Studies, 29, no. 3 (1993): 467-486,

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appointing General Fazlollah Zahedi Prime Minister. As events unfolded Musaddiq

was ultimately warned about the coup sending General Zahedi into hiding. The

Shah left the country for Rome, amid strong anti western sentiment reflected in

protests and the harassment of Americans in the country. After increased public

animosity towards the west the ambassador to Iran met with Musaddiq threating the

evacuation of all non-essential Americans in Iran also threating the withdrawal of

American aid if the situation was not brought under control. In instructing the police

to breakup the demonstrations Musaddiq sealed his fate with his communist

supporters the Tudeh, his action drove a wedge between him self and those who had

supported him. The operation was successfully completed in the wake of

Musaddiqs misstep alienating him from his communist Tudeh supporters and

allowing General Zahedi to take power. 8 The Americans wasted no time in

consolidating the new situation. The Military Missions assisted the Gendarmerie

with a series of massive communist purges in the following months, and President

Eisenhower gave an immediate grant of $45 million to the new government, in

addition to previously allocated funds, to speed up economic recovery.9

The following year in 1954 the CIA under Dulless leadership was intrinsically

involved in the coup d'tat that lead to the overthrow of Guatemalas democratically

elected president Jacobo rbenz Guzmn, known as Operation PBSUCCESS. After

taking office rbenz was not necessarily on the United States radar as potentially

leading any sort of communist reform in Guatemala. How ever after several years in

office and the implementation of many economic and social reform policies and

legislation. But his vague doctrine of spiritual socialism, his enactment of sweeping

8 Moyara de Moraes Ruehsen, "Operation 'Ajax' Revisited: Iran, 1953," Middle Eastern Studies, 29, no. 3 (1993): 467-486, 9 Ibid.

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reforms such as the 1947 Labor Code, and increased union agitation against major

enterprises including United Fruit created a general uneasiness within the Truman

administration. 10 The United Fruit Company became the root of what would

eventually lead to American Intervention in Guatemala. Operation PBSUCCESS was

designed and implemented by Dulles himself after rejecting a proposed

assassination plan, Allen and Wisner then devised a more comprehensive operation,

buoyantly calling it Operation Success. They would start with familiar techniques of

psychological warfare to generate a mood of fear and uncertainty in Guatemala and

nearby republic.11 Reminiscent of the tactics used in the previous years operation

ousting the Prime Minister of Iran the CIA under Dulless leadership was intent on

building upon its successes in Guatemala.

Intervention in Guatemala occurred after the expropriation of the United Fruit

Company an unacceptable action to the United States and reminiscent of a

communist shift in the government lead by rbenz. The operation was of such great

importance to the CIA the most of the CIA leadership was directly involved in the

operation; Virtually all of the CIA's chief officials played important roles. At the top

was Allen Dulles. Bissell, Dulles's special assistant during the Guatemalan operation

and deputy director of plans for the later attempt to oust Castro, states that Dulles

was closer to the Guatemala operation than he was to the Bay of Pigs."12 Operation

PBSUCCESS consisted mainly of covert action and psychological warfare tactics

such as radio broadcasts, leaflet drops, and rumor. The level of influence exerted

extended even into the church, They persuaded Guatemalan Catholic leaders to

10 Richard H. Immerman, "Guatemala as Cold War History." Political Science Quarterly (The Academy of Political Science) 95, no. 4 (1980-1981): 629-653. 11 Peter Grose, Allen Dulles spymaster: the life & times of the first civilian director of the CIA. New York: Andre Deutsch, (2006): 374, 12 Ibid.

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hold clandestine meetings with members of their churches. These efforts resulted in

a massive volume of anti-rbenz pastoral messages delivered each Sunday,

messages that received wide publicity in the local press.13 In directing the coup the

CIA selected Castillo Armas to lead an Army that would overthrow rbenz with

people and equipment furnished by the CIA. In addition to mercenaries, small arms

and other equipment the CIA also provided several obsolete American bombers.

Two of the bombers were subsequently destroyed prompting Armas to request

replacements, prompting this analysis from Dulles to President Eisenhower The

president asked Allen Dulles for his estimate of the situation. Dulles replied that

Castillo Armas's chances were about 20 percent with the planes, and about zero

without them.14

Coupled with the CIAs operation in Guatemala was the State Departments

Campaign against communism in the western hemisphere. Allen Dulless brother

Foster the Secretary of State proposed "Declaration of Solidarity for the Preservation

of the Political Integrity of the American States Against Communist Intervention" at

the Tenth Inter-American Conference held in Caracas. As rbenz prepared his

military for the conflict with forces led by Armas he attempted to purchase arms

from Czechoslovakia. Armas began his invasion of Guatemala from Honduras

pushing rbenz over the edge in assuming that the small force was a precursor to a

much larger force. rbenz calculated his action based on assumptions perpetrated

by the CIA effectively giving Armas the upper hand, resulting in the people voicing

their opposition to rbenz and calling for his resignation. Shortly after a series of air

13 Richard H. Immerman, "Guatemala as Cold War History." Political Science Quarterly (The Academy of Political Science) 95, no. 4 (1980-1981): 629-653. 14 Ibid.

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assaults perpetrated by CIA aircraft resulting in the bombing of a merchant ship

President rbenz resigned his presidency.

Dulles played many roles not only during the Cold War but also in the

aftermath of World War II that eventually led to the Cold War. Very much the cold

warrior the leadership that Dulles exhibited as the first civilian director of the

Central Intelligence Agency was intrinsic to the effectiveness of the agency. From his

early days in the OSS a role that provided critical intelligence on Germany during

WWII to his role in the CIA through several administrations Dulles proved to be a

resourceful effective leader. As an expert not only in the intelligence field but also an

expert on the political and diplomatic climate of the world. In December of 1959

Dulles addressed National Association of Manufactures in which he highlighted the

Soviet Military threat saying; The United States and its allies of the Free World

must continue to maintain a military defensive and retaliatory power such that no

increase in Sino-Soviet military power could lead the latter to believe that they had

gained clear superiority over us.15 Dulless decisive leadership contributed to what

in retrospect may very well be considered some of the United States greatest

victories of the Cold War. From preventing the spread of communism in countries

such as Iran and Guatemala to his directing of the countless anti-communism

propaganda efforts championed in Eastern Europe and other countries.

15Allen W. Dulles, "Address before the National Association of Manufacturers 64th Congress of American Industry." Speech,

New York, NY, December 4, 1959. http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd/exhibits/adulles/adulles_text.html

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Works Cited

CNN, "CNN Cold War - Profile: Allen Welsh Dulles." Last modified 2001. Accessed October 5, 2012. Internet Archive. http://web.archive.org/web/20011119112031/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/allen.dulles/.

de Moraes Ruehsen, Moyara. "Operation 'Ajax' Revisited: Iran, 1953." Middle Eastern Studies. 29. no. 3 (1993): 467-486.

Dulles, Allen W. "Address before the National Association of Manufacturers 64th Congress of American Industry." Speech, New York, NY, December 4, 1959. http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd/exhibits/adulles/adulles_text.html

Dulles, Allen W. "That Was Then: Allen W. Dulles on the Occupation of Germany ." Foreign Affairs (Council on Foreign Relations ) 82, no. 6 (2003): 2-8.

Grose, Peter. Allen Dulles spymaster: the life & times of the first civilian director of the CIA. New York: Andre Deutsch, 2006.

Immerman, Richard H. "Guatemala as Cold War History ." Political Science Quarterly (The Academy of Political Science ) 95, no. 4 (1980-1981): 629-653.