Editing John Foster Dulles (section)

==History==
Brinkmanship and Nuclear Risk: Dulles’ doctrine of “massive retaliation” and brinkmanship—threatening overwhelming nuclear response to Soviet aggression—was criticized as reckless. His rhetoric, like during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the Taiwan Strait crises, alarmed allies and domestic critics who feared he was pushing the world toward nuclear war. While not a scandal in the traditional sense, this approach was seen by some as dangerously provocative.

Support for Controversial Regimes: Dulles’ fierce anti-communism led to U.S. support for authoritarian regimes, which drew criticism. For example, his role in backing the 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup in Iran (Operation Ajax) to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was controversial, as it prioritized U.S. oil interests and anti-communist goals over democratic principles. Similarly, his support for Guatemala’s 1954 coup against Jacobo Árbenz was criticized for undermining sovereignty and fueling anti-American sentiment in Latin America. These covert actions, while not directly tied to Dulles personally, were seen as scandalous by those who viewed them as imperialist.

Suez Crisis (1956): Dulles’ handling of the Suez Crisis, where Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt after Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, was contentious. His initial ambiguity, followed by U.S. opposition to the invasion, angered allies, particularly Britain and France, who felt betrayed. Critics argued his diplomatic missteps exacerbated the crisis and strained NATO unity, though this was more a policy failure than a personal scandal.

Alleged Conflicts of Interest: Before becoming Secretary of State, Dulles was a senior partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, a law firm representing major corporations, including those with ties to pre-war Germany. Critics, particularly in the 1930s and 1940s, questioned whether his legal work for clients with German business interests reflected pro-corporate bias or insufficient scrutiny of Nazi ties. While no definitive evidence of wrongdoing emerged, these associations raised eyebrows, especially given his later hardline anti-communist stance.

Family Ties and CIA Overlap: Dulles’ brother, Allen Dulles, was CIA Director (1953–1961), and their close collaboration on covert operations (e.g., Iran and Guatemala coups) led to accusations of nepotism and unchecked power. Some critics viewed their combined influence as fostering a secretive, unaccountable foreign policy apparatus, though this was more a systemic critique than a personal scandal.

McCarthyism and Loyalty Probes: Dulles operated in an era of intense anti-communist fervor, and his State Department faced pressure from Senator Joseph McCarthy’s investigations into alleged communist infiltration. Dulles cooperated with loyalty probes, which some saw as complicity in McCarthy’s witch hunts. His dismissal of diplomats like John Paton Davies, accused of communist sympathies without clear evidence, drew criticism from those who felt he caved to political pressure, tarnishing his reputation among liberal circles.