To Move The World: JFKs Quest for Peace
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He also greatly admired Winston Churchill for his techniques in rallying the British people with ideals, while remaining a realist. As the Cold War with the Soviet Union became a nuclear arms race, any policy hinting of appeasement was taken as weakness.
Review: "To Move the World" by Jeffrey D. Sachs
Kennedy experienced a series of international crises in his first two years in office, and he learned from them. The Bay of Pigs operation in April , when the U. Kennedy also inherited the nuclear missiles stationed in Italy and Turkey.
Additionally, in retaliation for the Bay of Pigs and the presence of U. Instead, Kennedy struck a secret deal with Krushchev: Publicly, Kennedy also pledged that the U. These crises taught him to lead based on his ideals, and not to rely solely on his military advisors.
Nuclear war has no winner. After these crises, Kennedy began to lead from strength but negotiate with peace. He had also developed a rhythm and cadence in his speeches, with the aid of speech writer Ted Sorenson. This was no easy task. He had to come from a place of strength, while humanizing the citizens of the Soviet Union and emphasizing the morality of global peace and human rights.
An inspiring look at the historic foreign policy triumph of John F. Kennedy's presidency—the crusade for world peace that consumed his final year in office— by. To Move the World has ratings and 16 reviews. Pete said: I cannot write any kind of impartial review for this book. I'm all the way with JFK, and alw.
In Europe, Kennedy gave two famous speeches. He went to West Berlin and gave an impassioned speech advocating freedom and democracy.
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Treaty negotiations in Moscow began on July 15, and the treaty was completed on July 25, However, Kennedy still needed the U. Senate to ratify the Treaty before it could become law. To do that he needed the support of the American people, international support, and two-thirds of the U. Kennedy was very cognizant of the mistakes U. President Woodrow Wilson had made in failing to get enough support for the League of Nations, so he campaigned on all fronts.
To rally public support, Kennedy addressed the nation, the third speech highlighted by Sachs, on July 26, , he began:.
Good evening, my fellow citizens, I speak to you tonight in a spirit of hope. Eighteen years ago the advent of nuclear weapons changed the course of the world as well as the war. Since that time, all mankind has been struggling to escape from the darkening prospect of mass destruction on earth. By the time the Treaty had reached the U. Senate on September 9, , ninety countries had signed it.
The Treaty was finally ratified by the U. Senate on September 24, , by a vote of 80 to Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, His quest for peace, however, lived on. There were several subsequent disarmament treaties that were negotiated as a result.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan created yet another security dilemma, and it was withdrawn from Senate consideration by U. These two men, in their distinct ways, both said "Enough. We must understand how humanity was saved from the accidents, miscalculations, bravado, and supposedly sophisticated strategic thinking that almost ended it all.
Kennedy had to use his great gifts of persuasion on multiple fronts — with fractious allies, hawkish Republican congressmen, dubious members of his own administration, and the American and world public — to persuade a skeptical world that cooperation between the superpowers was realistic and necessary. Please Consider Donating Before you download your free e-book, please consider donating to support open access publishing. Beginning with his deft management of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Sachs posits, Kennedy dedicated the last year of his presidency and his life to peace. Sep 12, Jeff Norton rated it really liked it. They are squandering their wealth in an arms race.
Kennedy's Annus mirabilis was from October to September , when he and Khrushchev saved the world, and left a legacy, a blueprint, and an inspiration for those who would follow The high point of Kennedy's peace campaign was his commencement speech to American University on June 10, To this day, Kennedy's speech stands out as a unique approach to global affairs. Its power derives not only from its bold vision of peace between the United States and the Soviet Union, but also from its call upon Americans to reexamine their own attitudes toward peace.
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Kennedy's point was basic, yet remarkably unusual in international affairs: And because both sides shared in the same human drama, both sides would share in the gains from peace. A peace agreement was therefore feasible, because it would be mutually beneficial Kennedy delivers the Peace Speech, June 10, Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, and the kind that enables men and nations to grow, and to hope, and to build a better life for their children--not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace in all time.
Throughout the speech, Kennedy reminded Americans and Russians of the crushing costs of the current Cold War itself. His point was clear and overwhelming: Both the United States and the Soviet Union abhor war.
To Move the World: JFK's Quest for Peace (Excerpt)
They have never fought each other. They were allies in war. They can admire each other's virtue and valor. They risk mutual annihilation. They are squandering their wealth in an arms race. Therefore, they also share a common interest in peace In reaching this conclusion, Kennedy's rhetoric soared with empathy and insight, in what to my mind are the most eloquent and important words of the speech, and perhaps of his presidency:. So let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those differences can be resolved.