John Foster Dulles Biography and Timeline

Birth of John Foster Dules

Birth of John Foster Dules

Conference of Versailles

President Woodrow Wilson appointed Dulles as legal counsel to the United States delegation to the Versailles Peace Conference where he served under his uncle, Secretary of State Robert Lansing

Role range: 1914-1918

Delegate

Appointed Delegate to the Paris Peace Conference, chief US spokesman on reparations

Delegate

Appointed Delegate to the Paris Peace Conference, chief US spokesman on reparations

Role range: 1914-1918

Conference of San Francisco

Dulles participated in the San Francisco Conference as an adviser to Arthur H. Vandenberg and helped draft the preamble to the United Nations Charter

Delegate

Appointed delegate to the United Nations General Assembly

Role range: 1946-1950

Treaty of San Francisco

Concludes the US peace Treaty with Japan

Role range: 1945-1953

Secretry of State

Appointed Secretry of State

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Operation Ajax

Supports CIA-backed plans to overthrow Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Political Support

Supports CIA-backed plans to overthrow Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Operation Ajax

Supports CIA-backed plans to overthrow Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh.

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Government

Appointed Secretary of State

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1953-1959

Alliance Agreement

As Secretary of State, Dulles concentrated on building up NATO and forming other alliances (a phenomenon described as his "Pactomania") as part of his strategy of controlling Soviet expansion by threatening massive retaliation in event of a war

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Of the Japanese Peace Treaty

Dulles supervised the completion of the Japanese Peace Treaty, in which full independence was restored to Japan under United States terms

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Pactomania

As Secretary of State, Dulles concentrated on building up NATO and forming other alliances (a phenomenon described as his "Pactomania") as part of his strategy of controlling Soviet expansion by threatening massive retaliation in event of a war

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Peace Treaty of Japan

Dulles supervised the completion of the Japanese Peace Treaty, in which full independence was restored to Japan under United States terms

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Pactomania

As Secretary of State, Dulles concentrated on building up NATO and forming other alliances (a phenomenon described as his "Pactomania") as part of his strategy of controlling Soviet expansion by threatening massive retaliation in event of a war

Role range: 1951-1953

Geneva Conference

Directs US diplomacy during the Geneva Conference on Indochina

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1953-1959

Accords of Geneva

American delegates attended the Geneva summit but scarcely participated.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

But the plan hatched at Geneva was undermined and sabotaged by a lack of support.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

The Geneva conference adopted a similar approach in Vietnam.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, a vehement anti-communist, refused to recognise, shake hands with or speak directly to Chinese or Viet Minh delegates.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

Vietnamese territory would be divided temporarily into north and south, then given a road map to free elections, self Government, reunification and independence.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

The Viet Minh delegates did not wish to sign: they sceptical about the scheduled 1956 elections and reluctant to agree to the 17th parallel border, which would mean surrendering territory to the South. In the end the Viet Minh representatives signed on the instructions of Ho Chi Minh, who was himself under pressure from the Soviet Union and China

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

A joint US-French naval task force was assembled near Haiphong harbour, while US personnel and aid workers organised refugee camps, food and medical supplies in South Vietnam.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

The Geneva Accords also provided a 300 day grace period, so that civilians could relocate to North or South Vietnam.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

The United States began providing assistance to those Vietnamese who wanted to move south.

Role range: 1953-1954

Accords of Geneva

This process – pointedly titled Operation Passage to Freedom – was part humanitarian mission, part propaganda ploy.

Role range: 1953-1954

Operation Passage to Freedom

A joint US-French naval task force was assembled near Haiphong harbour, while US personnel and aid workers organised refugee camps, food and medical supplies in South Vietnam.

Role range: 1953-1954

Operation Passage to Freedom

The Geneva Accords also provided a 300 day grace period, so that civilians could relocate to North or South Vietnam.

Role range: 1953-1954

Operation Passage to Freedom

The United States began providing assistance to those Vietnamese who wanted to move south.

Role range: 1953-1954

Operation Passage to Freedom

This process – pointedly titled Operation Passage to Freedom – was part humanitarian mission, part propaganda ploy.

Role range: 1953-1954

Government

The US Air Force transports 1,000 French paratroopers from Europe to Vietnam. Chief architect of the SEATO Pact. Admits the USA provides 10x more support to France than Russia & China to Vietnam

Role range: 1953-1961

Of the Southeast Asia Treaty

iDulles became the architect of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The Treaty, signed by representatives of Australia, Britain, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and the United States, provided for collective action against aggression

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)

iDulles became the architect of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The Treaty, signed by representatives of Australia, Britain, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and the United States, provided for collective action against aggression

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

Times Man of the Year

Named Time's Man of the Year for 1954

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953

American United Fruit Company

Supports Operation PBSUCCESS, the CIA-backed overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala.

Role range: 1951-1953

Operation PBSUCCESS

Supports Operation PBSUCCESS, the CIA-backed overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala.

Role range: 1951-1953

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)

Dulles became the architect of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The Treaty, signed by representatives of Australia, Britain, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and the United States, provided for collective action against aggression

Role range: 1951-1953

Coup

Dulles lobbied Eisenhower on behalf of the American United Fruit Company to instigate a military coup by the Guatemalan army through the CIA under the pretext that Jacobo Arbenz's Government and the Guatemalan Revolution were veering toward communism. Dulles had previously represented the United Fruit Company as a lawyer, and remained on its payroll, while his brother, CIA director Allen Dulles, was on the company's board of directors

Role range: 1945-1953 – 1951-1953