케네디와 흐루시초프

Kennedy and Khrushchev: Leadership on Crisis

The paper examines how John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev overcame the crises they faced in Berlin Crisis and Cuban Missile Crisis in early 1960s. The two leaders representing capitalist and communist camps and contesting political and military powers in international politics could not yield their steps in the crises because their allies and peoples had wanted them to dominate the other by adopting a hard-line behavior. Facing the difficult situation of nearly an all-out war between them, Kennedy and Khrushchev decided to exchange secret letters to handle the crises. Khrushchev took initiative these high risking political actions by sending his first letter to Kennedy in the time of Berlin Crisis. Kennedy who also wanted private contact with Khrushchev responded favorably to the letter by telling him that ‘avoidance of war’ was the most important goal of international politics and both of them could work together under the basis of mutual understanding and accomplish the goal. Given the Cold War which forced them to mow down the enemy with military power and ideological supremacy, Kennedy and Khrushchev demonstrated excellent leadership in international politics on the time of high crises by giving up their hard-line contests and agreeing to work together in terms of ‘avoidance of war.’