Analysis Of John F. Kennedy's Peace Speech

During the Cold War, there were a series of moments when the world seemed on the brink of nuclear annihilation. The closest of these moments was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, and it left a lasting feeling of pessimism in the global atmosphere. The United States and the Soviet Union had been actively involved in an arms race and many feared that continued escalation would result in direct conflict between the two superpowers and their respective allies. It was in this atmosphere of uncertainty and fear that the US president John F. Kennedy gave a commencement address at American University in 1963. When the speech was given, it served several key purposes. The speech was designed as a way of easing the tensions between the Americans and …show more content…
It is also possible that Kennedy’s words were overly optimistic. Attempting to create peace in this world certainly seems to be an impossibility when one considers the number of conflicts and atrocities that take place throughout the world. Kennedy’s short time as president has, however, left an enduring legacy. The “Peace Speech” might not have had the enduring effects of creating an enduring optimism among Americans, but it did help to alleviate the fear that had crept into the life of many Americans’ lives. The consequences of the speech were not merely empty rhetoric. By combining the rhetoric of peace with a push to reconcile with and negotiate with the Soviets, specifically in regards to nuclear arms, Kennedy was able to back up his words with actions. Without the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in August of 1963, Kennedy’s speech would ring hollow as mere words. Today, many might see the sentiment that Kennedy expressed as unrealistic, but seeing war and conflict in general, as a man-made problem to be solved allows us as people to push to improve the future not just in the immediate but also in the