Following nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.
During the month of October 1962, the planet came closer to annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks filled with unbearable stress.
An Unthinkable Threat
The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting mankind into total oblivion.
This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel element to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.
"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.
In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"
"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that humans can be allies or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."
A Precipice of Disaster
What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards armageddon. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.
"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.
The Divergent Perspective
Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.
"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."
An Unlikely Collaboration
The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.
"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."
"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."
Modern Echoes and Present Dangers
Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp