Foreign Policy of John F. Kennedy
Sarah Stone
Professor Ferrari
10 April 2012
John F. Kennedy Even before John Fitzgerald Kennedy began his presidency in 1961, he viewed foreign policy as one of the most important aspects of our lives. In one speech he said, “Foreign policy today, irrespective of what we might wish, in its impact on our daily lives, overshadows everything else. Expenditures, taxation, domestic prosperity, the extent of social sciences — all hinge on the basic issue of war or peace” (JFK Library). As the first president born in the 20th century, the youngest president to be elected to office, and the youngest president to die in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s time in office was brief, but full of difficult challenges in foreign affairs. I feel that he was a president whose defining moments in his presidency were also some of the biggest crises in American history, and fifty years later, his foreign policy is still studied, especially in the current situations with the nuclear crises America is facing with nations such as North Korea and Iran. In my opinion, he not only handled his crises correctly, but he also moved America forward internationally in many ways such as creating the Peace Corps, advocating civil rights, fighting the war on communism, and the success of the space program. One aspect of Kennedy that I greatly admire was his success in both protecting the United States during conflicts with the Soviets and others, and at the same time maintaining the core values of America. Kennedy’s youth and foreign policy style promised something different from the stiff, strict foreign policy of the Eisenhower administration. While he did have a few failures during his time in office such as the Bay of Pigs defeat, overall, in my opinion his successes outweighed his failures. Kennedy was one of the best presidents in terms of how he handled America’s famous conflicts. Holding office in the time of the Cold War with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and dealing with the tension with
Professor Ferrari
10 April 2012
John F. Kennedy Even before John Fitzgerald Kennedy began his presidency in 1961, he viewed foreign policy as one of the most important aspects of our lives. In one speech he said, “Foreign policy today, irrespective of what we might wish, in its impact on our daily lives, overshadows everything else. Expenditures, taxation, domestic prosperity, the extent of social sciences — all hinge on the basic issue of war or peace” (JFK Library). As the first president born in the 20th century, the youngest president to be elected to office, and the youngest president to die in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s time in office was brief, but full of difficult challenges in foreign affairs. I feel that he was a president whose defining moments in his presidency were also some of the biggest crises in American history, and fifty years later, his foreign policy is still studied, especially in the current situations with the nuclear crises America is facing with nations such as North Korea and Iran. In my opinion, he not only handled his crises correctly, but he also moved America forward internationally in many ways such as creating the Peace Corps, advocating civil rights, fighting the war on communism, and the success of the space program. One aspect of Kennedy that I greatly admire was his success in both protecting the United States during conflicts with the Soviets and others, and at the same time maintaining the core values of America. Kennedy’s youth and foreign policy style promised something different from the stiff, strict foreign policy of the Eisenhower administration. While he did have a few failures during his time in office such as the Bay of Pigs defeat, overall, in my opinion his successes outweighed his failures. Kennedy was one of the best presidents in terms of how he handled America’s famous conflicts. Holding office in the time of the Cold War with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and dealing with the tension with
Cited: Calvocoressi, Peter. World Politics 1945-2000. 8. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2001. Print. . "John F. Kennedy in History." National Archives and Records Administration. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, 2012. Web. 28 March 2012. <http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History.asp&xgt> Miller Center, . "American president John F. Kennedy: A Reference Resource." Miller center. University of Virginia, 2012. Web. 29 March 2012. . "JFK and Foreign Policy." American experience. PBS by WGBH, 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/john-kennedy-and-foreign-policy/>.