John F. Kennedy, known under the initials JFK, is the most famous politician and president of the United States. What was Kennedy's career and the Cold War-like during his presidency? How did the American president die, and when did his death take place? Learn more about the life, foreign policy, and death of John F. Kennedy.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline. He was the son of politician and businessman Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy née Fitzgerald. The boy's grandfather (young Kennedy's namesake) was a US congressman and the mayor of Boston - it was he who instilled in his grandson an interest in history and politics. Young John F. Kennedy had eight siblings. The boy lived in Brooklyn for 10 years, attending the local St. Aidan. He then attended several private schools in the Boston area. The Kennedy family later moved to New York City, where John continued his education at the Riverdale Country Private Boys School.
During the following years of his education, John Kennedy often struggled with various health problems. The culminating point was John's sudden hospitalization in 1934 (Yale-New Haven Hospital). The boy was suspected of having leukemia, but finally, he was diagnosed with colitis. In 1935, young Kennedy flew to London to study at the London School of Economics. John's health worsened again, and he returned to the US that same year. In September 1936, Kennedy enrolled at Harvard University near Boston. In June 1938, John, together with his father and older brother, left for London to work at the American Embassy. During this trip, John managed to collect materials for his thesis, which he defended with honors at Harvard (1940).
In 1941, JFK joined the Navy. It was sent to the front of World War II. He commanded the PT-109 torpedo patrol boat, stationed in the Solomon Islands. He then took command of the PT-59, barely escaping the turbulent experiences of previous missions. Due to a serious back injury in April 1945, Kennedy was honorably demobilized from service, leaving her with the rank of lieutenant. John's older brother, Joe, died during World War II. He was the political representative of the Kennedy family. The death of his brother made foreign policy a task for John.
JFK was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. He served the Chamber for the next 6 years, gaining the support of many supporters. John was most interested in international affairs. He supported the doctrine of Truman (former US president) as valid at the time the Cold War began to be born. Kennedy then began preparations to submit his candidacy to the Senate (1952). He won the election with 70,000 votes ahead of Henry Cabot Lodge and sat in the US Congress.
On September 12, 1953, John married Jacqueline Bouvier, later known to America as Jackie Kennedy. His wife gave birth to three children (the youngest lived only 2 days). Biographers believe that the marriage was not a happy one. Jackie Kennedy was often left alone while her husband cheated on her regularly. Kennedy's wife was the most famous first lady of the United States and was hailed as a fashion icon of the 1960s.
Kennedy has undergone many spine surgeries in the meantime. So it happened that he was absent from the Senate. During his convalescence in 1956, he began to think about running for president of the United States. His candidacy officially appeared on January 2, 1960. John was a staunch Catholic, so some accused him of surrendering the United States to the Pope. Kennedy ran a high-profile presidential campaign, touted by his wife and financed by his father and younger brother, Robert, the campaign manager. Kennedy traveled extensively to gain support among the democratic elite and voters. In 1961 John F. Kennedy won the elections and on January 20 he was officially sworn in as president.
Kennedy brought a lot of freshness to the White House. JFK was ready to make more and more lightning-fast political decisions. He chose experienced people, but also less sophisticated in the world of politics. The president did not want to miss a chance of re-election in 1964. To ally with the people and show them support on the cause of racial discrimination, he appointed African Americans to various positions. Martin Luther King received federal protection from Kennedy during the protests in Alabama. After all, the law prohibiting racial discrimination was signed by him only 2 years later.
The real "horse" of John F. Kennedy, however, was foreign policy. It was almost fully dominated by the American confrontations with the Soviet Union. To this day, biographers have been wondering whether John Kennedy was a supporter of the Soviet Union's policy or its opponent. Historical evidence shows that the American president was quite cleverly balancing both ideas. Among the highlights of President Kennedy's reign were:
- Invasion of the Bay of Pigs (April 17-19, 1961) - Cuban emigrants then wanted to get to southern Cuba and form a provisional Cuban government to overthrow Fidel Castro.
- The deterioration of US relations with Israel and other Arab states - John F. Kennedy favored the Zionist movements. The then secretary of the Arab League considered that the actions of the United States were destroying the balance in the Middle East.
- Establishing diplomatic relations with the First Secretary of the CPSU, Nikita Khrushchev - Khrushchev proposed a draft peace treaty between East Germany and West Germany. Kennedy made no reference to the issue of German reunification, and he also denied Germany access to American nuclear weapons.
- Tightening contacts with the Soviet Union - due to the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962. Spy planes photographed Soviet-built rocket stations on Cuban soil. The president blocked the sea route to Cuba for the USSR to withdraw its missiles. This led to the most serious US-Soviet crisis of World War II. Ultimately, both parties made agreements
- Supplying nuclear weapons to NATO - despite the reluctance to equip other countries with them. On June 10, 1963, John F. Kennedy proposed that testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere be discontinued. Nikita Khrushchev agreed with the president, and the treaty was officially signed on July 25.
John Kennedy was still thinking about re-election in 1964. So he planned a trip around the United States to win more popular support. The last point of his trip turned out to be Dallas, called the "City of Hate" for a reason. The newspapers in Dallas accused the head of state of sympathizing with the communists and of betraying the American people. Shots rang out as the president and his wife drove a limousine across Ross Avenue towards Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963. John F. Kennedy was shot in the neck and head. He died on the same day, just after 1 p.m.
The President of the United States was buried on November 25, 1963, at the Arlington National Cemetery. Hours after the murder, Lee Harvey Oswald was caught, accusing him of the assassination of the president. John F. Kennedy died at the age of 46, being head of state for 1,036 days. Kennedy's assassination was a key moment in the political history of the entire United States.
Bibliography:
- Longin Pastusiak: Presidents of the United States of America, Iskry Publishing House, Warsaw 1999
- Brogan Hugh: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Ossolineum Publishing House, Warsaw 2003
- O'Reilly Bill, Dugard Martin: To Kill Kennedy, Burda Media Polska Publishing House, Warsaw 2013
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