ABSTRACT
Decolonization was an issue that figured prominently in John Foster Dulles's career as an American foreign policy maker. The symbiotic relationship between Dulles and decolonization was striking complex. Dulles shared the almost visceral anticolonial views which were common among Americans. Although the articulation of the views was activated by developments and crises around the world, Southeast Asia certainly provided regular prompts. The Cold War begins, and the postwar future of Southeast Asia was quickly seen to have relevance to it. The inclination very much affected the evolution of thoughts concerning Southeast Asia. Both Democrats and Republicans seen the unfamiliar terrain of Southeast Asia, by way of an increasing appreciation for the historic role of the region's rich raw materials and market opportunities. Since Dulles had long emphasized the vital need to reconstruct an international economy shattered by depression and war, it is not at all surprising that he quickly came to share 1940s' calculations concerning Southeast Asia's potential role.
