Essay Sample on John F. Kennedy as a President

John F Kennedy, the name brings the image of a young, charismatic family man who was the youngest to be elected president of the United States, facing the Soviet regime, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and near nuclear war. Kennedy’s administration entered a turbulent global stage, with communism on the spread, and countries straying from the pragmatic diplomacy predicted after WW2, the new administration was faced with a global humiliation during and after the Bay of Pigs incident just three months into Kennedy’s administration. While being both the youngest elected to the presidency, and preceding a general decades older than him, the public already had its doubts about the administration and were only reaffirmed by the Bay of Pigs incident. While Kennedy’s image was hurt by the debacle, his charisma, and willingness to work with those better educated than him, helped him salvage public opinion, while also managing Foreign policy in the following years of his administration. Kennedy’s administration perfectly displays both the importance and use of the public's perception of the president during times of crisis and conflict and the power of ‘spin’, but also the importance of a strong supporting staff in the Executive to support the president. 

Cuba, a neighboring country to the United States, just 90 miles south of Florida, played a major role in the foreign policy and the legacy of the Kennedy administration, primarily because of the Bay of Pigs incident on April 17th 1961 and Cuban Missile crisis that followed. The Bay of Pigs incident was drafted by the CIA, and primarily funded by Eisenhower in early 1960, in order to : ‘replace the Castro regime with one more devoted to the Cuban people’. During the 1960 presidential election both candidates, Nixon and JFK took strong stances against Cuba and it’s dictator at the time, Fidel Castro, Nixon being Vice-president to Eisenhower at the time was aware of the military’s plan and believed Kennedy would carry it out ‘irresponsibly’. Kennedy was presented with the strategy created in 1960 during Eisenhower's administration along with the heads of all the departments in his administration, but was reluctant to the landing zones and decided to change it to the Bahía de Cochinos, or Bay of Pigs. Kennedy’s joint chiefs of staff were reluctant to cast their doubts on the new president’s decision, and moved forward with the new landing positions, prompting Kennedy to approve of the Bay of Pigs operation on April 4th, 1961. Thirteen days later the invasion had begun, but was immediately intercepted by the already suspecting Castro regime whose closest ally at the time, the USSR, had already warned them of the impending invasion. This led to over 100 of the Cuban freedom fighters dying in combat and over 1,100 becoming prisoners of war to the Cuban regime, over a course of three days the plan had crumbled apart into a humiliating foreign relations disaster. Cuban diplomats at the UN accused the United States of invading the sovereign state of Cuba, but the United States ambassador claimed that they were only supporting the efforts of those fighting for freedom within Cuba. Robert Kennedy, Attorney General and brother of President Kennedy was eventually pressured by straining relations and Cuba claiming neutrality laws in the UN. Robert begins by claiming, “ First, may I say that the neutrality laws are among the oldest in our statute book.” later going on to justify the Bay of Pigs invasion, “ There is nothing in the neutrality laws which prevents refugees from Cuba from returning to that country to engage in the fight for freedom.”. This is a good example of political spin, as it was later revealed to the public that the CIA and US government was fully funding and supporting the invasion, and the rhetoric RFK released about the invasion was targeted at changing the perception from negative to positive. Besides the foreign fallout of the disastrous Bay of Pigs, the American public seemed let down by the promise of ‘peace’ their new leader had entered office promising, and Kennedy began to slip in the polls. The Kennedy administration now had an even more aggressive Cuban regime to deal with, foreign relations tensions, and a disillusioned American public. 

Foreign tensions continued rising as the USSR began construction of the Berlin wall on August 13th 1961, providing for the first time a tangible ‘iron curtain’ that had plagued Europe since the fallout and ending of WW2. President Kennedy had previously met with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev in June of 1961 just months before the beginning of the construction, which made it clear their conference failed to resolve any of the long standing problems between the United States and the USSR. The building of the Berlin Wall prompted Kennedy to send Vice-President Lyndon Johnson and 1,500 soldiers to West Berlin, showing Khruschev Washington’s commitment to a free Berlin. While this action sent a strong message to the USSR it also helped strengthen alliances across the Atlantic in Europe, and illustrated the strength in the executive in regards to foreign policy, Kennedy also displayed his power as commander in chief by sending troops to West Berlin as a show of US strength. The tension between the USSR, Cuba, and the United States cultivated in the Cuban Missile crisis, when the USSR was found to be transporting and installing missiles onto the island of Cuba. Kennedy’s administration was presented with images of the missiles, taken by a U-2 plane flying overhead, along with proof they were Soviet installations. Kennedy first gathered his top military and diplomatic advisors to assess any approach they could, unable to reach an agreement Kennedy created what is now known as the National Security Council. The newly created council eventually came to a conclusion, a Naval blockade of Cuba to prevent anymore entry of Soviet arms onto Cuba. The only problem the administration had now was international law which found blockades an act of war, eventually they settled on quarantine instead, as to avoid any conflict and keep diplomatic options open. On October 22nd, 1962 President Kennedy announced to the American public on live television the presence of offensive Soviet Nuclear arms on the island of Cuba, Kennedy claimed the sites were, “ … none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere” and assured the American public he would stop at nothing to prevent any conflict. Kennedy also announced to the public that the military would be instructed to “quarantine” the island of Cuba and prevent any shipment’s turn around. Two days later, October 24th, 1962,  twenty-five Soviet ships approached the American blockade. Kennedy, America, and the world watched anxiously as they approached unknowing as to the fate of this possible conflict. At 10am the Soviet ships turned around, and with them the world let out a sigh of relief, but the conflict reigned on, with missile sites still active on Cuba, Kennedy rode on the coattails of the blockade's success and drafted a letter to Khrushchev. In the letter Kennedy explained the blockade would be ended when the ballistic missile sites in Cuba were dismantled, along with this Robert Kennedy also pledged that the United States would remove missiles from Turkey. October 28th 1962, the Cuban missile crisis was resolved as the USSR accepted the United States proposal’s, and by November 20th, Kennedy officially ended the blockade as the last missile was removed from the island. I believe the building of the Berlin wall and the Cuban missile crisis were important for defining Kennedy’s presidency but also helped visualize the ability of the Executive Branch to exercise its power on the national stage representing the United States, and the willingness of a president to use their constitutional powers, like commander in chief when Kennedy sent troops to Berlin. 

The last months of Kennedy’s administration and life seem to help solidify Kennedy’s legacy as one who consistently used the office of the Executive to further peace across the globe, and at home. In 1963 gave a powerful speech that led to another incredible landmark of his presidency, the nuclear test ban between the Soviet Union, United States, and The United Kingdom, this was a landmark agreement Kennedy talked about pursuing consistently on both the campaign trail and in private. Kennedy’s administration's ability to reason and work with other governments, and openness to diplomatic solutions helped usher in this treaty. Prior to the signing of this treaty, President Kennedy had traveled to West Berlin, where the new Berlin wall split the once thriving city in two, and he claimed “ Ich bin EIN Berliner!”, which translates to I am a Berliner. Kennedy’s speech is still held as one of the best anti-communist speeches to this day, as he focused rather on division, but unity. 

In conclusion, Kennedy’s presidency was an incredibly unique one, just months after his inauguration, Kennedy was presented with a geo-political crisis triggered by a failed and poorly planned military operation that nearly spiraled into nuclear war between the USSR and the United States. Even more intriguing was the ability for such a new administration to be able to handle such a dramatic near war crisis peacefully, compared to other presidencies, where it seemed they simply wanted to increase funding for the military. The bay of pigs and Cuban missile crisis are two examples of Kennedy utilizing his charisma and charm, but also the power vested in the Executive in the constitution, whether the commander in chief, sending delegates and ambassadors to other countries, or upholding the laws of the land, Kennedy’s presidency to me is truly a Ubiquitous one.