In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we dive into the story of the Dulles brothers and their impact on the Eisenhower administration in 1954. We explore the backgrounds of John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles, their rise to power, and the key events of their tenure as Secretary of State and Director of the CIA, respectively. We discuss their role in shaping US foreign policy during the Cold War, including their involvement in the 1954 coup in Guatemala, and the Suez Crisis. We also
Reading time:
1–2 minutes

Explaining History Podcast
For more than a decade, the Explaining History Podcast has helped listeners around the world make sense of modern history. What began in 2012 as a simple experiment—short, accessible episodes explaining major historical events—has grown into a long-running library of carefully researched, thoughtful explorations of the 20th and 21st centuries.
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