...How Did John F. Kennedy Deal With Cuba? Leslie Doughty Professor Nettles Augusta POL 300 July 29, 2013 Strayer University John F. Kennedy was the first American president born in the 20th century. The Cold War and the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union were vital international issues throughout his political career. His inaugural address stressed the contest between the free world and the communist world, and he pledged that the American people would "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, and oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty." (Roskin, 2010). Cold War rhetoric dominated the 1960 presidential campaign. Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon both pledged to strengthen American military forces and promised a tough stance against the Soviet Union and international communism. Kennedy warned of the Soviet's growing arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles and pledged to revitalize American nuclear forces. He also criticized the Eisenhower administration for permitting the establishment of a pro-Soviet government in Cuba. (Roskin, 2010). Before his inauguration, JFK was briefed on a plan drafted during the Eisenhower administration to train Cuban exiles for an invasion of their homeland. The plan anticipated that support from the Cuban people and perhaps even elements of the Cuban military would lead to the overthrow of Castro and the...
Words: 1266 - Pages: 6
...military standoff between the United states and the Soviet Union. The Cuban missile came to light during the Cold war era. Throughout world war II the Soviet Union and the U.S. fought as allies, battling the axis powers. Although they were allies America was worried about Stalin and Russian communism. (citation) This helped to start the cold war. The...
Words: 1263 - Pages: 6
...Alexandra Roach Dr. Fiddner PLSC World Politics 101 006 October 8, 2015 Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis Due to the Cold War, in October 1962, tensions were high between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962. This was by far the most significant event to happen in the Cold War. The Soviets had been using Cuba as a place to set their missiles from which they would be able to launch a nuclear attack at any time on almost anywhere in the Southeastern parts of the United States, this including places like Washington D.C., New York City, New Orleans, and other major cities in the United States. Photographers were able to capture pictures of these missiles with high-altitude U-2 spy planes giving evidence that the missiles were 90 miles off the American costal line. Although it seems as if the Cuban Missile Crisis happened at a blinding pace, this crisis actually was a culmination of a much longer process. In this essay I will be focusing on the events that led up to the terrifying 14 day event of the Cuban Missile Crisis as well as looking at the crisis from an individual level of analysis and from a realist point of view. In order to fully understand the Cuban Missile Crisis, we must first take a look at all of the events that had lead up to the crisis. Among many of the factors leading up to the nuclear standoff between the countries, one of the factors, of course, was the genuine concern of defense of each leader, John...
Words: 2629 - Pages: 11
...JFK Essay “History is concerned with neither the past by itself nor with the historian’s thoughts about it by itself, but the two in mutual relations. All history is the history of thought.” Discuss the validity of Collingwood’s view on history, in reference to your case study. The past and the way the historian is able to interpret the past is the true nature of history. Collingwood’s view on history has merit, as it is the combination of the two that constitutes history. This is extremely evident in the variety of interpretations that have emerged through the study of President John F. Kennedy. Three particular historians, Theodore Sorenson, Seymour Hersh and Michael O’Brien, all construct ‘unique’ accounts of JFK’s Presidency particularly in his relations with Khrushchev (1961-1963) and his management of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 to become solid examples of the importance of the historian in creating the history. All search for ‘the truth’ about Kennedy, using a variety of methodologies to come to different conclusions about his presidency. Context is also key in evaluating the both the historian and his work as it is reflected through his aims and purposes. Without a thorough examination of the historian, the history cannot be understood. The historian thus becomes the third element of the construction of history. Theodore Sorenson’s 1965 work, Kennedy argues a consensus view of history, attempting to “glorify” his place within America History. As a close...
Words: 1205 - Pages: 5
...Conceptions of the Cold War James Brinkley The Cold War was a bloodless battle fought on the political front for over 40 years. It was not declared over until 1991, with the fall of communism and the USSR. During this war, there were no lives lost but billions of dollars spent by both countries playing a worldwide chess game with nuclear warheads. For the research on this topic, I conducted interviews and got personal opinions on matters related to the cold war. The people interviewed were two military personnel and a female homemaker. I wanted to get varied opinions on this topic to determine how well they grasped the topic. The first topic discussed was “what comes to your mind when you think of the term Cold War.” Unanimously, all three responded with similar answers. They described the cold war as a war between Russia and the United States of America to determine who would have advantage during a nuclear war. I found this interesting as the term was originally coined in the 14th century by Don Juan Manuel describing the conflict between Christianity and Islam. The modern terminology is synonymous with the battle less conflict between the USSR and the United States of America. Also found in my research that the Cold War was not only about nuclear supremacy, but about being the number one super power in the world on all fronts. Tied in to Cold War Politics is also the “Space Race” where both parties raced to have supremacy in space as well as on the earth. The second...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...So JFK was traveled through the Dallas streets in a motorcade. There was a guy in a building who shot John F. Kennedy Lee Harvey Oswald. Lee Harvey Oswald killed him based on the Secret service FBI Dallas Police Department and the Warren Commission Report. Lee Harvey Oswald Her borned on october 18, 1939, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a marxist and ex-marine who assassinated John F. Kennedy. He killed him with two shots in the head from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository while the president traveled by the motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. He used an alias “A. Hidell for a mail order for the rifle he used, it was a 6,5 mm caliber carcano, he also did purchase a .38 smith and wesson model 10 revolver by the same way. While kennedy’s motorcade was going through the Dealey Plaza at 12:30 pm, on november 22, Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots from the building he was on. Some investigations says that Lee hid and covered the rifle with boxes after the fired happened and got out through the rear stairwell. Lee had years of rifle practice in the Marine Corps Secret Service FBI Dallas Police Department This departament tried to follow Lee Harvey Oswald before the assassination because he was...
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...Conceptions of the Cold War My most informed interviewee was my father. He wasn’t just an expert who could tell me everything I know, but he knew enough to give me the general idea. While speaking with him, I was told that the Cold War was not a war like we would think of now. It was a political war much like we are dealing with now. He referred to it as an “espionage power struggle.” During the interviews, it was obvious; the two directly involved countries were the Soviet Union and the United States. However the US did not become directly involved until the anti-American dictator Fidel Castro seized the vulnerable Cuba in 1959 declaring his commitment to the communist party. Cuba became a threat to the United States during their move to building a closer relationship with Russia. Eisenhower ordered the CIA to arm and train a force of Cubans who had been barred from their home country for an attack on Cuba. There was great tension between the US and the Soviet Union parties. He added five new Army divisions increasing the nations air power and military reserves. Sen. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon both committed themselves to strengthen American military forces and promised a tough stance against the Soviet Union and other international communism. Kennedy blamed and criticized the Eisenhower admin for the permitting the development of a communist government in Cuba. It was feared that the plan would fail. President Kennedy addressed the American people...
Words: 658 - Pages: 3
...speeches. JFK’s first and only, inauguration captured the attention of a shaken nation. The speech itself is brilliant, it provides a strong appeal to logos, pathos and ethos. This speech has inspired millions of people and touched their hearts as well. John F. Kennedy, also known as JFK, was the youngest president to ever be elected into office. Kennedy was born into a wealthy family, and was expected to achieve great things. Three years prior to World War II (1939), Kennedy attended Harvard until 1940. Although, America had practiced appeasement during WW2, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 war was inevitable. One year later, JFK joined the navy where he...
Words: 1635 - Pages: 7
...JFK was the 35th president of the United State during the cold-war time, and he was Catholic. We all acknowledge that JFK’s inaugural address has become one of the most famous and classic speech in history, because it has the strong power of words and phrases. Millions of his audiences were moved by JFK's inaugural address fifty years ago; even now we still are impressed by its rhetorical devices. One of JFK’s most effective methods in the speech is his strong diction. From the beginning to the end of the passage, JFK creates a directive and decisive tone to move his audience. Certainly, there are some words used to convince and to persuade people in the speech: steady, powerful, and pledge, for showing audiences the speaker's passion and drawing...
Words: 555 - Pages: 3
...Cold War: Postwar Estrangement The Western democracies and the Soviet Union discussed the progress of World War II and the nature of the postwar settlement at conferences in Tehran (1943), Yalta (February 1945), and Potsdam (July-August 1945). After the war, disputes between the Soviet Union and the Western democracies, particularly over the Soviet takeover of East European states, led Winston Churchill to warn in 1946 that an "iron curtain" was descending through the middle of Europe. For his part, Joseph Stalin deepened the estrangement between the United States and the Soviet Union when he asserted in 1946 that World War II was an unavoidable and inevitable consequence of "capitalist imperialism" and implied that such a war might reoccur. The Cold War was a period of East-West competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war, characterized by mutual perceptions of hostile intention between military-political alliances or blocs. There were real wars, sometimes called "proxy wars" because they were fought by Soviet allies rather than the USSR itself -- along with competition for influence in the Third World, and a major superpower arms race. After Stalin's death, East-West relations went through phases of alternating relaxation and confrontation, including a cooperative phase during the 1960s and another, termed dtente, during the 1970s. A final phase during the late 1980s and early 1990s was hailed by President Mikhail Gorbachev, and especially by the president...
Words: 1511 - Pages: 7
...While the Cold War lasted for over forty years and ended with a resounding defeat of communism, it faded into a confrontation of proxies and indirect sparring. The buildup to the Cuban Missile Crisis was drawn out and measured in the diplomatic battles that were waged. Although the Cold War started after the end of World War II, it was the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the world to the brink of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Most historians mark the start of the Cold War on February 4, 1945 at the Yalta Conference between Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt. At this point in the war, Stalin had a 12 million-man army with 300 divisions that had already reached the Oder River. They were only waiting for the order to attack toward Berlin. The Red Army commander was ordered by Stalin to pause while the conference was in session. While Roosevelt was at the conference, it was obvious that he was not in the best health from photographs that were taken. He was accused by some of his critics of selling out at Yalta and handing Eastern Europe to Stalin. Here was also the accusation that he had made secret deals with Stalin at this conference. “Bert Andrews in the New York Herald Examiner wrote about 4 secret deals: Russia's demand for $20 billion in reparations from Germany, for Poland to the Curzon line, for 3 seats in the United Nations, for territory in the Far East including Outer Mongolia, south Sakhalin Island, the Kuriles”...
Words: 1904 - Pages: 8
... or known as JFK. He was born on the 29th of May 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He had a wealthy father who was Joseph Kennedy, Sr. He was an investor and wanted all his sons to be ambitious in their life. John F. Kennedy’s family moved to New York when he was 10 years old, and was sent to Choate, which was a boarding school in Connecticut. Between the years of 1936 and 1940 his father was an Ambassador in Great Britain and all the problems in Europe would eventually lead to the 2nd World War. John felt dominated by his brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr. Despite the practice of appeasement, World War 2 broke out. America joined the war when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. When he was in the Navy, his new job was being a captain in the South Pacific....
Words: 378 - Pages: 2
...John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. In the Inaugural Address of President John F. Kennedy, he uses many rhetorical devices, like antithesis, parallelism, repetition, alliteration, metaphor, and so on to illustrate his idea. JKF also made good choices of the use of the words. His speech faces not only the entire American citizens, but also the people all over the world. JFK performed this speech in January 20, 1961. At that time, the cold war was lasting. The world is mainly divided into two hostile camps,...
Words: 496 - Pages: 2
...Every President the United States has all had their own issues when they’re serving their term, but 2 in particular stand out. Franklin D Roosevelt had the country looking to him for direction right away after being felt threatened from the Pearl Harbor attack. His decision could teater which way the United States would go. Also John F. Kennedy had a crisis of his own. His term took place during the Cold War. He too had a crucial choice to make of whether to use nuclear weapons that could potentially destroy the world or some other strategy to win the war. With all this going on both of them made impactive and widely interpreted speeches. The 2 campaigns were brought up with have the same general background. They both based their decisions...
Words: 587 - Pages: 3
...| Greg Van Lieu HIST101-1502B-02 Professor Gleason May 25, 2015 THE SPACE RACE During the cold war a competition between the United States and Russia started as each country competed in seeing who would make it to space first. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was formed, it replaces the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) in October 1, 1958. On September 12, 1962 the race was defined by President John F Kennedy’s speech at Rice University and thus “The Space Race” had begun. In that speech, John F Kennedy stated “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” JFK RICE MOON SPEECH. (n.d.). The space race ignited America’s competitive spirit. The space race between the two world powers changed humanity with breaking the limits of new technology in space travel and catapulted the United States to evolve into the world leader by landing a human on the moon. On October 4 of 1957, the space race began between two of the most powerful countries when Russian launched an unmanned rocket called Sputnik 1 into orbit. “The launch of Sputnik 1 had a "Pearl Harbor" effect on American public opinion.” Launius, R. (n.d.). Then Russia, a month later, launched Sputnik 2 which included a small dog named Laika. The U.S. tried to catch up by launching two satellites. One of the satellites failed to reach orbit, however one of satellite...
Words: 845 - Pages: 4
