Abstract
This chapter details how President Kennedy’s revised foreign policy structures helped him successfully resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis. It argues that the crisis was the ultimate test of Kennedy’s leadership. Further, the chapter highlights the important part Sorensen played in assisting the president to handle the crisis effectively. It details Sorensen’s role in crafting the president’s speech to the nation at the height of the crisis and his impact on the decision-making process during the deliberations that determined the administration’s response. The chapter examines the impact of the crisis, arguing that during his final year in office, Kennedy’s foreign policy approach shifted to focus on the pursuit of peace. It also explores the contradiction between this new approach and the ongoing US involvement in Vietnam.
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Ulyatt, M.A. (2019). From Arrows to Olive Branches. In: Theodore Sorensen and the Kennedys. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15796-8_8
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