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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MJH-01
In this interview Hillenbrand discusses President John F. Kennedy [JFK] entering office amid the Berlin crisis; working as the Director of the Office of German Affairs with JFK; the Berlin Task Force and the Ambassadorial Group; JFK's attitude towards the German problem and German reactions to the Kennedy Administration; the State Department and Germany; the 1961 Vienna talks with Nikita S. Khrushchev; the erection of the Berlin Wall and the crisis it generated; the Kennedy Administration's reaction and response to the Berlin Wall; talks with Russia over Berlin and the Wall; the press "leaks crisis" on the Germany problem; JFK's working style and approach to problems, according to Hillenbrand; the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the Berlin talks; JFK's German policy and relationship with German leaders; and what JFK accomplished related to Germany, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-02
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses the 1961 Berlin crisis; American forces, military and diplomatic, in Germany; John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] recommendation for Americans to have fallout shelters; nuclear testing; problems with the Department of State; the start of the conflict in Vietnam, 1961; the Department of Justice under RFK and organized crime; RFK’s difficult relationship with J. Edgar Hoover; the wiretapping bill; new federal judgeships in 1961 and other presidential appointments; the Alliance for Progress; Red China; crises during JFK’s presidency and how he was an optimist; RFK’s move for an income tax increase during the Berlin crisis; RFK’s disagreements with President JFK; indecisiveness over picking JFK’s running mate, 1960; the missile gap; fighting and UN operations in the Congo; Nikita S. Khrushchev’s speeches; RFK’s 1962 trip to Japan, Indonesia, Germany, and other countries; the release of Allen L. Pope; Dutch disputes in Southeast Asia; the 1961 crisis in the Dominican Republic and the assassination of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina; the 1962 disarmament conference in Geneva; Edward M. Kennedy’s 1962 campaign for U.S. Senate; the Kennedy family national and political reputation; the Justice Department under RFK and civil rights; and the 1962 steel crisis, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-01
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses beginning John F. Kennedy's [JFK] presidential Administration with no political obligations; carefully picking Cabinet members, specifically Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury; RFK’s decision on what role to play in JFK’s Administration; JFK’s unhappiness with Dean Rusk as Secretary of State; JFK’s advisers and other presidential appointments; Cabinet meetings; Department of Justice organization under RFK; the first 100 days of the Kennedy Administration; the role of the Vice President, according to RFK; JFK’s relationship with Lyndon B. Johnson and why JFK put Johnson on the ticket in 1960; what JFK was most concerned with as President; domestic programs versus foreign affairs in the Kennedy Administration; Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.’s role during JFK’s presidency; the Bay of Pigs, the aftermath, and its effect on JFK; how JFK approached problems as President; dealing with Georgi Bolshakov; negotiating with the Soviet Union in Vienna, over Laos and Cuba, etc.; JFK’s relationship with foreign heads of state; State Department staff and U.S. Ambassadors; the military coup in Vietnam; the Berlin crisis of the summer of 1961 and the Berlin Wall; RFK’s 1961 trip to the Ivory Coast; and Soviet and American nuclear testing, among other issues.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-44
Dictation Belt 44 contains three sound recordings. Item 44.1 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy, Special Counsel to the President Theodore C. Sorensen, and Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman. President Kennedy and Secretary Freeman discuss a farm bill. Sorensen and Secretary Freeman discuss a trade bill and its effect on the cotton industry. There is an echo during part of the recording. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 44.2 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss stoning incidents in Berlin and dealings with the Soviet Union. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 44.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss defense appropriations and issues concerning the United States Air Force. The recording begins in mid-conversation and ends abruptly.Each item listed above is also available individually as an excerpt derived from this full-length digitized recording. See Related Records for more information.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-045
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s address to the American public regarding the impending possibility of war between the United States and the Soviet Union over the crisis in Berlin, Germany. In his speech the President discusses the Soviet Union’s attempts to cut off American access to West Berlin, thus making it impossible to secure freedom from communism for the people of Berlin. President Kennedy also discusses the imminent threat of nuclear war and his plan to increase funding and manpower for the military, provide appropriate communications for air raid warnings, and ensure that all Americans have access to fall-out shelters in the event of a nuclear holocaust. The recording contains some distortion.
Textual folder
Theodore C. Sorensen Personal Papers
TCSPP-060-018
Textual folder
Theodore C. Sorensen Personal Papers
TCSPP-060-017
Textual folder
Theodore C. Sorensen Personal Papers
TCSPP-060-016
Moving image
Television Network Columbia Broadcasting System Collection
TNC-258
CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) motion picture covering President John F. Kennedy's radio and television address to the American people regarding the impending possibility of war between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) over the crisis in Berlin, Germany. See "Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, John F. Kennedy, 1961: Item 302." The President delivers the remarks from the Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C. In his speech the President addresses the Soviet Union's attempts to cut off America's access to West Berlin, thus making it impossible to secure freedom from communism for the people of Berlin. The President goes on to discuss the imminent threat of nuclear war and his plan to increase funding and manpower for the military, provide appropriate communications for air raid warnings, and ensure that all Americans have access to fall-out shelters should a nuclear holocaust occur. Copyright restrictions apply.
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1962-10-18-D
AR28, ST15, KN24
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-098-002
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include Berlin contingency planning, Communist presence in West Berlin, convoy procedures, policies on the proper channels of communication to the Soviets within Germany, and the potential effect of the Cuban Missile Crisis on Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-098-001
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include Berlin contingency planning with a nuclear demonstration plan, the filming and potential broadcast by NBC Television Network of an escape attempt by East Berlin refugees via a tunnel, policies for future action to assist wounded refugees in East Germany, and an Ambassadorial Working Group meeting on Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-011
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include Berlin contingency planning, TTD (temporary travel document) policy and discussions on civilian traffic between East and West Germany, the shooting of a refugee at the Berlin Wall and the refusal of East German guards to permit entry to a British ambulance; and a plebiscite proposal for West Berlin. Of note is a draft of a memorandum of conversation between West Germany Mayor Willy Brandt and President John F. Kennedy discussing Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-010
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include the possible withdrawal of a U.S. garrison in Berlin; TTD (temporary travel document) policy discussions; incidents in the Berlin air corridor between the Soviet Union and Allied aircraft; an upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. by Mayor of West Berlin Willy Brandt; and the right of asylum for East German refugees. Of note is a background paper by the Department of State and U.S. Information Agency (USIA) titled, “Berlin in Brief.”
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-009
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include TTD (temporary travel document) policy discussions, the use of armored vehicles (APCs) in the transport of Soviet guards to the war memorial in West Berlin, and the North Atlantic Council (NAC) and Berlin contingency planning.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-008
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include air corridor violations; guidelines for assisting East German refugees injured at the Berlin Wall; meetings between the Berlin Commandants for the United States, Great Britain, and France; and the use of armored vehicles (APCs) in the transport of Soviet guards to the war memorial in West Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-007
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include assistance by the Red Cross for East German refugees injured at the Berlin Wall, air corridor violations, and entry points and the use of armored vehicles (APCs) in the transport of Soviet guards to the war memorial in West Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-006
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include protocol for East German refugees injured at the Berlin Wall, channels of communication between Allies and the Soviets, and the use of armored vehicles (APCs) to transport Soviet guards to the war memorial in West Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-005
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include the closure of the Soviet Commandant’s office in East Berlin and the effect on Allied communication with the Soviets, travel regulations for West Germans, violence against East German refugees by East German guards at the Berlin Wall, and the use of Soviet armored vehicles (APCs) in West Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-004
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include closure of the Soviet Commandant’s office in East Berlin, procedures for handling armed Soviet Union personnel traveling to a Soviet war memorial in West Berlin, guidance for protocol at checkpoints, air corridor violations, and the use of escorts for Allied vehicles in East Berlin and on the Autobahn.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-003
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include travel regulations for East German scientists and professors, demonstrations in West Berlin at the Berlin Wall and various points along the border, the shooting of East German refugee Peter Fechter by East German guards at the Berlin Wall, closure of the Soviet Commandant’s office in East Berlin, and regulations for the firing of weapons at the East Berlin border.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-002
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include U.S. helicopter flights over East Berlin, observances for the one year anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall, potential travel requirements by the Germany (Democratic Republic), and protocols for air corridor use. Of note are telegrams regarding an effort by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) to film an attempted escape of East Berlin refugees via a tunnel.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-001
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include U.S. helicopter flights over East Berlin, U.S. and Soviet Union flights over the Berlin Central Zone, a potential Soviet Union-Germany (Democratic Republic) peace treaty, and travel documents for an East German crew on a train to Austria. Also included in this folder is a draft of a paper titled, “Air Access Contingency Planning Resume for Measures Not Involving Use of Force.” Of note are telegrams regarding the one year anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-085-002
This folder contains memoranda regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin including a review of Berlin contingency planning and a record of a meeting between President John F. Kennedy and West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt. Of note are memoranda and papers regarding a potential effect on West Berlin of the Soviet Union build-up in Cuba (also known as the Cuban Missile Crisis) including a blockade by the Soviet Union, inspections of allied traffic into Berlin by the Soviet Union and Germany (Democratic Republic), and immediate military preparations for Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-085-001
This folder contains memoranda and telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include the potential integration of West Berlin into the Federal Republic of Germany (also known as the Eleventh Land concept); the probable character of an air corridor contest between the Soviet Union and Germany (Democratic Republic), and the U.S., France, and Great Britain; an intelligence assessment of Soviet Union intentions for Berlin; and the closure of the Soviet Commandant’s office in East Berlin. Also included in this folder is a paper expressing the views of the Departments of State and Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff titled, “The Preferred Sequence of Military Actions in a Berlin Conflict.”