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West Berlin speech
Kennedy delivering his speech in West Berlin

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JFK's Ich bin ein Berliner speech

In 1963, Germany was enduring a time of particular vulnerability due to Soviet aggression to the east as well as the impending retirement of West German Chancellor Adenauer.[234] At the same time, French President Charles de Gaulle was trying to build a Franco-West German counterweight to the American and Soviet spheres of influence.[235][236][237] To Kennedy's eyes, this Franco-German cooperation seemed directed against NATO's influence in Europe.[238]
To reinforce the U.S. alliance with West Germany, Kennedy travelled to West Germany and West Berlin in June 1963. On June 26, Kennedy toured West Berlin, culminating in a public speech at West Berlin's city hall in front of hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic Berliners.[239]  He reiterated the American commitment to Germany and criticized communism, and was met with an ecstatic response from a massive audience.[240] Kennedy used the construction of the Berlin Wall as an example of the failures of communism: "Freedom has many difficulties, and democracy is not perfect. 