The improbable triumvirate: John F. Kennedy, Pope John, Nikita Khrushchev

188 Pages·1972·23.672 MB·English

by  Norman Cousins

An Asterisk to the History of a
Hopeful Year, 1962-1963
Norman Cousins
The Improbable Triumvirate
KENNEDY-KHRUSHCHEV-POPE JOHN
An Asterisk to the History of a
Hopeful Year, 1962-1963
Norman Cousins
For thirteen months—beginning with the
resolution of the Cuban missile crisis in
October 1962 and ending with the assas-
sination of President John F. Kennedy in
November 1963—a new spirit of optimism
was at work in the world. The dramatic
end of that crisis signaled an upturn in the
prospects for peace. Three men came to
symbolize these new prospects—President
Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Pope
John.
This book deals with some of the little-
known footnotes to the history of that
hopeful year, especially as it bears upon
the interaction of the three leaders. It is
mostly a human-interest story, for it shows
what great changes can come about in the
world when leaders look beyond ideologi-
cal dogma and national interest to human
interest, and when they are willing to
assume political risks in the pursuit of
peace.
The book tells of some remarkable ex-
changes between Pope John and Premier
Khrushchev. It was the Pope who took the
initiative in establishing direct contacts
between the Vatican and the Kremlin. A
specific result of this was the release, after
years of internment, of two archbishops.
Mr. Cousins was chosen as an emissary of
the Vatican to negotiate the release. During
this time. President Kennedy asked Mr.
Cousins to play a role in the preliminary
negotiations for an agreement to halt test-
ing of nuclear weapons. The book deals
with the role of public opinion in making
the nuclear test-ban treaty possible. As an
outgrowth of the experiences related here,
Mr. Cousins was asked by the president to
work on the campaign for ratification of
the treaty. This book provides an account
of that work.
BOSTON
PUBLIC
LIBR^ULY

THE IMPROBABLE
TRIUMVIRATE
Digitized by the internet Archive
in 2017 with funding from
China-America Digital Academic Library (CADAL)
https://archive.org/details/improbabletriumvOOnorm
By Norman Cousins
THE IMPROBABLE
TRIUMVIRA TE
John F. Kennedy
Pope John
Nikita Khrushchev
W ' W ' Norton & Company Inc
* •
Nevo York
FIRST EDITION
Copyright © 1^72 by Norman Cousins. All rights reserved.
Published simultaneously in Canada by George J. McLeod Limitedj Toronto.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Cousins, Norman.
The improbable triumvirate.
World politics—1955-1965. 2. United States.
I.
Treaties, etc., 1961-1963 (Kennedy) Treaty banning
nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space
and under water. 3. Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, Pres.
U. S., 1917-1963. 4. Joannes XXIII, Pope, 1881-1963.
5. Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeevich, 1894-1971.
I. Title.
D843.C63 1972 327'.II'O9046 72-4819
ISBN 0-393-05396-2
1234567890
CONTENTS
An Asterisk to History: Some Footnotes
on the Relationship of John F. Kennedy^ Pope John XX///,
and Nikita S. Khrushchev 7
Afterword 14^
Appendix: Some Notes on the Background of the
Campaign for the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty / 5j
Photographs appear following page j8