December 2, 2021
About This Episode
John F. Kennedy, who grew up between two world wars, would see the rise of fascism in his youth and later serve on the front lines to stop it from spreading across the world. Those lived experiences would influence Senator and later President Kennedy as he navigated the country through the rise of another authoritarian movement in Soviet Communism.
In this episode, we spoke with historian Fredrik Logevall about how the young Kennedy's experience living in pre-war Europe and fighting in World War II would influence his opinions on foreign policy as a Senator and later as President of the United States.
View the transcript for this episode.
What We Talked About
- Read the archives blog about young John F. Kennedy's trip to Europe with his friend Lem Billings in the summer of 1937.
- View the media gallery of photos from President Kennedy's time in the service during World War II.
- Read and listen to President Kennedy's American University Commencement Address from 1963.
- View the book Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall
- View a 2020 Kennedy Library Forum with Fredrik Logevall on his new book