On June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy presented a speech to citizens of West Berlin that would have a lasting impact on Germany for many years to come. JFK's speech entitled Ich bin ein Berliner was conveyed to a desperate West Berlin audience in order to provide some support during their lack of governmental security. Two years prior to JFK’s comforting speech, the head of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated the construction of a wall that would separate the communist East Berlin from the capitalist West. During this time, the communist Soviet Union controlled East Germany, and they did not want the democratic West to have any influence on their people that could lead the communists to rebel or potentially leave. The result of this physical and political division greatly affected those both in the East and West. Families on either side were unable to visit their other family members, which caused worry and concern for each other’s well-being. Understandably, the 1960s was a time of distress for citizens of Germany, especially Berlin, and Kennedy’s speech not only provided reassurance to West Berlin that they had support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but Kennedy also gained immense trust as a result.
Kennedy begins his speech with: “I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin.” This powerful initial sentence sets the tone for the rest of Kennedy’s speech to follow. Kennedy uses respectful diction to express his acknowledgements to both the city of Berlin, and Willy Brandt, the mayor of West Berlin at the time, for their efforts to remain a democracy even without the support from the rest of Berlin. Not only does the word choice Kennedy uses assist him in persuading his audience to trust America and him, the tone in which he delivers this speech is also critical. Kennedy’s voice is assertive, yet it has a sense of honesty and sensitivity that makes him seem caring for Berlin, rather than an individual who just wants to have control over the region. JFK goes on to say, “Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was ‘civis Romanus sum,’ today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’” This mere statement has a combination of ethos and pathos; Kennedy uses his creditability of being the president of the United States to “tug at the heart strings” of West Berlin by essentially saying he is one of them—he is a Berliner. By making this statement, Kennedy is indicating that he relates to West Berlin in their resilience for maintaining a democracy while East Berlin tries to eradicate them. It took a lot of strength for the West to stick it out, especially with the formation of the Berlin Wall, and Kennedy recognizes this by saying he is one of them (since Kennedy was well known for his strong democratic views).
The body of Kennedy’s speech contains: “There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. . . . There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. . . . And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. . . .” Kennedy, again, uses pathos to create this effective notion that other individuals do not understand what West Berlin is going through. However, the individual who does understand is Kennedy. Therefore, since he understands what Berlin is going through, he can help them. This is another instance where Kennedy gains trust from his audience, which, in turn, gives him confidence. In the video representation of the speech, Kennedy speaks loud enough for his audience to hear, however when he beings making this statement of “let them come to Berlin,” his voice becomes louder and more assertive.
Kennedy concludes his speech with: “Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades. All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’” This is where Kennedy reiterates the purpose of his presence in Berlin, to support the West in their attempt to maintain their democracy and freedom; characteristics of the ideal country. This is why Kennedy repeats throughout his speech: “Ich bin ein Berliner”; I am a Berliner. It essentially becomes clear that the pattern of this speech was to express support and understanding from the United States in order to gain the trust and support from Berlin and Kennedy executed this intention perfectly.
Kennedy begins his speech with: “I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin.” This powerful initial sentence sets the tone for the rest of Kennedy’s speech to follow. Kennedy uses respectful diction to express his acknowledgements to both the city of Berlin, and Willy Brandt, the mayor of West Berlin at the time, for their efforts to remain a democracy even without the support from the rest of Berlin. Not only does the word choice Kennedy uses assist him in persuading his audience to trust America and him, the tone in which he delivers this speech is also critical. Kennedy’s voice is assertive, yet it has a sense of honesty and sensitivity that makes him seem caring for Berlin, rather than an individual who just wants to have control over the region. JFK goes on to say, “Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was ‘civis Romanus sum,’ today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’” This mere statement has a combination of ethos and pathos; Kennedy uses his creditability of being the president of the United States to “tug at the heart strings” of West Berlin by essentially saying he is one of them—he is a Berliner. By making this statement, Kennedy is indicating that he relates to West Berlin in their resilience for maintaining a democracy while East Berlin tries to eradicate them. It took a lot of strength for the West to stick it out, especially with the formation of the Berlin Wall, and Kennedy recognizes this by saying he is one of them (since Kennedy was well known for his strong democratic views).
The body of Kennedy’s speech contains: “There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. . . . There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. . . . And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. . . .” Kennedy, again, uses pathos to create this effective notion that other individuals do not understand what West Berlin is going through. However, the individual who does understand is Kennedy. Therefore, since he understands what Berlin is going through, he can help them. This is another instance where Kennedy gains trust from his audience, which, in turn, gives him confidence. In the video representation of the speech, Kennedy speaks loud enough for his audience to hear, however when he beings making this statement of “let them come to Berlin,” his voice becomes louder and more assertive.
Kennedy concludes his speech with: “Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades. All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’” This is where Kennedy reiterates the purpose of his presence in Berlin, to support the West in their attempt to maintain their democracy and freedom; characteristics of the ideal country. This is why Kennedy repeats throughout his speech: “Ich bin ein Berliner”; I am a Berliner. It essentially becomes clear that the pattern of this speech was to express support and understanding from the United States in order to gain the trust and support from Berlin and Kennedy executed this intention perfectly.