What Was John F Kennedy's Role In The Cold War

The Presidency of John F. Kennedy and his role in the Cold War 1961-63

In 1961 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected as President of the United States of America, this would be short lived due to his assassination in Dallas, Texas in 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald. His administration would later be referred to as Camelot by his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Although he is more prominently known for the fact that he was assassinated which is recorded on video for posterity, I find that his role in the Cold War has been greatly overlooked by the general public. This is why I think it is important to look at his role during the Cold War especially due to the recent release of Kennedy’s assassination files once again filling the media with conspiracies.

This operation came into effect after the complete failure of the Bay of Pigs which was on the seventeenth of April in 1961. “Military advisers predicted a popular uprising that would quickly topple the Castro government. But the assault proved to be a total failure.” It is said that out of the one thousand four hundred over a hundred died and one thousand one hundred were captured after less than a day of them fighting. This failed invasion would bring Cuba and the Soviet Union closer than ever, this brought about the Cuban Missile Crisis. The crisis was a thirteen day event when the world seemed to be on verge of a nuclear war as the Cuban government were installing missiles to be used against American if the Soviets or Castro felt it was necessary. It has been said by historians that the crisis made Kennedy’s passion for the Cold War lessen with the fear of millions dying as a result of the impending nuclear warfare. After Kennedy’s powerful speech at an American college asking for some sort of compromise, the two feuding countries agreed to a treaty against the use or testing of nuclear weapons in both the atmosphere and space. The treaty was signed a year later in October of 1963. Kennedy also reached out to Castro to form a better relationship between their two countries. Personally, I think that Kennedy’s decision to try to take down Castro’s

Kennedy had become a great advocate for peace among all nations. In June ’63 he implored his fellow politicians to adapt peaceful policies in what would be later known as the peace speech. During his quest for peace Kennedy travelled to the historic, war torn city of Berlin just two years after the construction of the Berlin wall. Kennedy was greeted by adoring crowds and having said that no other American politician was greeted so welcoming than him. While there Kennedy made what would soon be one of his most memorable where he said the infamous words “Let them come to Berlin” and “Ich bin ein Berliner”. His speech was to be a mean of hope for the besieged city, to show the difference between the free world and the Communists. He made this speech on a square which after his assassination was renamed Kennedy Platz. During his visit he looked on at East Berlin from a height on a platform at Checkpoint Charlie where iconic photos of him have been taken. “All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner”.” It to me is what Kennedy should be better known for rather than his untimely death in November of that same year as his speech was beacon of hope for many during the hardships of the Cold War. This is also one of the last things that John F. Kennedy did before his