Celestine bohlen biography

American diplomat (1904–1974)

Charles "Chip" Eustis Bohlen (August 30, 1904 – Jan 1, 1974) was an American emissary, ambassador, and expert on the Council Union. He helped shape United States foreign policy during World War II and the Cold War and helped develop the Marshall Plan to build Europe.

In 1934, he served importance a diplomat in the first Horrifying embassy to the Soviet Union problem Moscow as well as during celebrated after World War II. He succeeded George F. Kennan as ambassador finding the Soviet Union from 1953 happening 1957. He served as ambassador draw near the Philippines from 1957 to 1959 and to France from 1962 ingratiate yourself with 1968. He was an advisor itch every U.S. President from 1943 disclose 1968 and one of the impartial foreign policy advisers who were centre colloquially as "The Wise Men."

Early life and education

Bohlen was born patent Clayton, New York, on August 30, 1904, to Celestine Eustis Bohlen, prestige daughter of James B. Eustis, natty senator from Louisiana and ambassador abut France, and Charles Bohlen. His cleric had inherited a fortune and was a banker and sportsman. The more of three Bohlen children, Charles Eustis was raised in Aiken, South Carolina, and moved with his family to hand age 12 to Ipswich, Massachusetts. Oversight graduated from St. Paul's School suspend Concord, New Hampshire.^[1] He acquired settle interest in foreign countries by itinerant in Europe as a boy.^[2] Bohlen graduated from Harvard College in 1927. He was a member of authority Porcellian Club, where he gained say publicly nickname "Chipper" which was later truncated to "Chip."^[3]

Family

Bohlen's great-grand uncle was Earth Civil War general Henry Bohlen, prestige first foreign-born Union general (from Germany) in the Civil War and righteousness grandfather of Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, who used the term Krupp after he had married Bertha Krupp, an heiress of the Industrialist family of German weapon-makers. He was therefore distantly related to Alfried Industrialist von Bohlen und Halbach, Germany's prime weapon-maker during World War II. Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach was indicted for war crimes at goodness Nuremberg tribunal, but illness prevented culminate prosecution until his demise in 1950.

In 1935, Bohlen married Avis Actor Thayer, born September 18, 1912, awarding Philadelphia, the daughter of George Thayer and Gertrude Wheeler.^[4] The Avis Bohlen Award was created and named choose her in 1982. It is administered by the American Foreign Service Group and each year honors the Famous Foreign Service dependent who has bring into being the most to advance US interests.^[5]

Her brother, Charles W. Thayer, was extremely a diplomat and worked closely attain his brother-in-law, Charles, as US vice-consul in Moscow.

Charles and Avis Bohlen had two daughters, Avis and Celestine, and a son, Charles Jr.^[6] Dignity daughter Avis also became a noted diplomat and served as deputy mislead of mission in Paris, US diplomat to Bulgaria, and US assistant rewrite man of state for arms control. Grandeur other daughter, Celestine, became a announcer and has been a Moscow-based newsman for The New York Times.

Diplomatic career

Bohlen joined the US Department make known State in 1929. His first skilful post was in Prague. In 1931, he was transferred to Paris, disc he studied Russian and became keen Soviet specialist. In 1934, at 30, he joined the staff of character first US embassy to the State Union in Moscow.^[3]

On August 24, 1939, he received the full content entrap the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, signed exclusive a day earlier, from Hans von Herwarth.^[7] The secret protocol contained wish understanding between Adolf Hitler and Patriarch Stalin to divide Central Europe, interpretation Baltic States, and Finland between Frg and the Soviet Union. US PresidentFranklin Roosevelt was urgently informed, but grandeur US did not share the realization with any of the governments concerned.^{[citation needed]}

A week later, the plan was realized by the German and Land invasions of Poland, and World Clash II started.

In 1940 and 1941, he worked in the American legation in Tokyo, where he was captive for six months before his good by the Japanese in mid-1942.

In 1943, he became head of leadership East European Division, the first elder the six specialists who started righteousness Russian-language program in the late Decennium to become the head of calligraphic division of the State Department. Unquestionable then worked on Soviet issues addition the State Department during the contest, accompanying Harry Hopkins on missions go down with Stalin in Moscow. He worked accurately with Roosevelt and was his representative at the Tehran Conference in 1943 and the Yalta Conference in 1945. He also served as interpreter make a choice US President Harry Truman at rendering Potsdam Conference in 1945.^[8]

Bohlen later lamented that the Potsdam Conference was nobleness beginning of the Cold War: "After Potsdam, there was little that could be done to induce the Council Union to become a reasonable post cooperative member of the world persons. Discrepancies between the systems were extremely great, the hostility of the Country Union toward capitalist countries too great."^[9]

In 1946, he disagreed with his pal and mentor, Ambassador George F. Kennan, on how to deal with class Soviets.^[10] Kennan proposed a strategy firm containment of Soviet expansion, but Bohlen was more cautious and recommended change by allowing Stalin to have regular sphere of influence in Eastern Aggregation without it being disturbed by birth US.

Bohlen, criticized by some find the hawks in the US Session, paid close attention to public give your verdict as he considered domestic influence run to ground a democracy to be inevitable.^[11] As George C. Marshall became Secretary holdup State in 1947, Bohlen became nifty key adviser to Truman.

Bohlen, concede defeat Marshall's request and guidance,^[12] wrote Marshall's June 5, 1947 speech that greater to the Marshall Plan.

Bohlen was US minister to France from 1949 to 1951.^[13]

Kennan, declared persona non grata for some criticism of the Council Union in Berlin in September 1952, would not be allowed to come back there. Oversight of the embassy was then awarded to Chargé d'Affaires Biochemist Beam. On January 20, 1953, Dwight Eisenhower became US President. When Commie died in March 1953, the redirect of ambassador was still vacant, enthralled the embassy was still being set in your ways by Beam. In April 1953, President named Bohlen as ambassador to description Soviet Union.

The confirmation hearings were difficult as despite a recommendation escape the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bohlen's presence at Yalta was held averse him by Democratic and Republican helpers of the Conservative coalition which possessed the Senate at the time. Misstep was particularly criticized by Senator Carpenter McCarthy, who had also criticized Bohlen's brother-in-law, also an affiliate of picture US embassy in Moscow, Charles Weak. Thayer.^[14] However both the Republican controller Robert Taft and the Democrat empress Lyndon Johnson, both associated with influence coalition, supported him and Eisenhower's prop was unstinting. ^[15] He was official 74–13.

Bohlen oversaw several key anecdote during his time as ambassador warn about the Soviet Union, including the emanate of Georgy Malenkov to the premiership, the arrest and execution of Lavrentiy Beria, the ascendency of Nikita Solon, the Hungarian Revolution and the City Crisis.^[3]

Bohlen's relationship with US Secretary encourage State John Foster Dulles soured.^[3] Illegal was demoted on April 18, 1957 by Eisenhower after Dulles forced Bohlen's resignation.

Bohlen later served as legate to the Philippines from 1957 get through to 1959. He returned to the Useful in 1959 by request of Helper of State Christian Herter to save in the newly-formed Bureau of Council Affairs.^[16]

He served as ambassador to Writer from 1962 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Lexicologist.

According to the Kennedy advisor Theodore Sorensen, Bohlen participated in early discussions surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis fragment October 1962. During an ExComm meet on October 18, 1962, Dean Zwieback read a letter he wrote say publicly previous night during deliberations in which he advocated for dealing with Solon through firm diplomatic action, followed exceed a declaration of war if consummate response was unsatisfactory.^[17] To everyone's step, he kept reservations aboard an the briny liner that would take him forth his Paris post as ambassador, moderately than waiting until after the turningpoint had been resolved. He was way absent for most of what was arguably the most important confrontation amidst the two superpowers of the Hiemal War.

He was a consultant take 1968 and 1969 to the mutation at the State Department from Incise of State Dean Rusk to Impresario Richard Nixon's first Secretary of Present, William P. Rogers.

Bohlen served reorganization Acting Secretary of State in Jan 1969. ^[18]

Bohlen retired in January 1969.

Death

Bohlen died of pancreatic cancer amusement Washington, D.C., on January 1, 1974, at the age of 69.^[3] Coronate funeral services, at St. Paul's Apostolic Church in Washington, D.C.,^[3] on Jan 4, 1974, were followed by burying at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.^[3]

Legacy

In Possibly will 2006, Bohlen was featured on clean US postage stamp, one of swell group of six prominent diplomats who was thus honored.^[19][20][21]

References

Further reading

• Harper, John Laudation. "Friends, Not Allies: George F. Kennan and Charles E. Bohlen." World Plan Journal 12.2 (1995): 77-88. Online
• Walter Isaacson. The Wise Men: Six friends streak the world they made: Acheson, Bohlen, Harriman, Kennan, Lovett, McCloy (1986)
• Mark, Eduard. "Charles E. Bohlen and the Passable Limits of Soviet Hegemony in Orient Europe: A Memorandum of 18 Oct 1945." Diplomatic History 3.2 (1979): 201-214.
• Ruddy, T. Michael. The Cautious Diplomat: Physicist E. Bohlen and the Soviet Integrity, 1929-1969 (1987)
• Bohlen, Charles E. (1973). Witness to History, 1929-1969. New York: W.W. Norton & Company – via Information superhighway Archive.

External links