Whether it’s a speech at a college, a pep rally to a sports team, or a televised address by a president or head-of-state, speeches have the power to move entire nations. Written words communicate a message, but spoken words bring it one step further. The fiery passion and eloquence of charismatic orators can move hearts, stir emotions, and inspire and motivate people, either for the better or for the worse. In the words of William Jennings Bryan, ”eloquent speech is not from lip to ear, but rather from heart to heart”.
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1960’s: Eyes Set on Space
A fundamental part of the Cold war was the Space Race. By the early 1960s, the Soviet Union was far ahead in the competition (Smithsonian Magazine). By the time Kennedy took office, the Soviet Union sent the first man to outer space NASA). Determined to prove America’s superiority in space exploration, Kennedy made it a compromise of the nation to the send the first man to the moon before the decade was over. On a speech delivered at Rice Stadium, Texas, on 1962, Kennedy introduced this new mission, and made it clear that it was everyone’s compromise and struggle (Library of Congress). 7 years later, on July 20, 1969, the Apollo XI mission made a successful landing, and Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk the surface of the moon (National Air and Space Museum).
The Apollo XI landing was a historical moment not just for the United States, but for the world in general. However, without this speech, the effort put into the mission would’ve never happened. Kennedy is regarded as one of America’s most charismatic and effective presidents, and thanks to him, America proved his superiority in space exploration and slowly paved its way towards becoming the lone remaining superpower.
1980’s: The Wall Must Come Crumbling Down
By the 1980s, capitalist-socialist relationships have significantly smoothened, thanks to leaders such as Gorbachev, Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan (Alpha History). In 1987, Reagan stood outside Brandenburg Gate, where Kennedy once stood 24 years prior, and delivered a speech demanding action by Premier Gorbachev (Library of Congress). The purpose was to challenge Gorbachev and incite him to tear down the Berlin Wall, which had been separating the city for over 20 years, as a sign of the impending failure of communism and the prospect of reunification.
Throughout the 1980s, Reagan led America through the finishing stages of the Cold War. This speech made impact as a challenge to Gorbachev. The reforms imposed by the Soviet premier and the fiery, iron-fisted approach of the American president eventually laid the foundations to cement the fall of socialism and the end of half a century of philosophy clash.
1940’s: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
World War II was raging Europe, Africa, and Asia, but it will soon reach America as well (Khan Academy). On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese carried out an unannounced, unexpected raid on the Pearl Harbor air base near Honolulu, Hawaii (History). 2,403 people were killed and 1,170 wounded (Atomic Heritage). The day following the attack, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered an address to the U.S. Congress concerning the attack. In said address, he declared that the policy of neutrality was over, and declared war on the Empire of Japan (Library of Congress). A few months later, the United States officially entered World War II (George Washington University).
The attack at Pearl Harbor was the event that shattered American policy and officially dragged America into the deadliest confrontation in human history. The impact of the speech lies in the charismatic presence and fiery passion with which Roosevelt delivered the speech, and the significance of America’s participation. Had it not been for the attack, America would’ve never joined the war and the Allies would’ve been defeated by the Axis Powers. As such, the attack on Pearl Harbor and President Roosevelt’s address to the nation were fundamental in changing the tide of the war in favor of the Allies, leading to a decisive victory and the end of European hegemony.
1950’s: Khrushchev: New Soviet Order
15 years later, the two remaining superpowers (US and the Soviet Union) were engaged in a battle of science, philosophy, and even sports known as the Cold War (National Geographic). After the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev became Soviet premier (PBS). On February 1956, Khrushchev shocked the entire union by means of a secret speech titled ”On The Cult of Personality” (Wilson Center). In front of an entire closed plenum, Khrushchev delivered a report denouncing Stalin’s crimes and the tight grip he kept on the union, as well as his ”cult of personality” (Marxists). The entire text of the report was smuggled out of Moscow and published in a British newspaper (The Guardian). Despite the shock, the members of the 20th Congress of the CPSU were convinced to begin the process of de-Stalinization (Britannica).
The Soviet Union kept a tight grip in its satellite states and still dreamed of controlling the world under the banner of socialism. However, this secret speech tarnished the image of the late Stalin and reverted Soviet philosophy back to a more idealized Leninist approach. It also indirectly contributed to the revolts in Hungary and Poland, weakening the Soviet Union’s grip on its satellite states and strengthening the position of opposers to socialism.
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