Following almost annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.
During October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.
An Unthinkable Danger
The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging mankind toward total oblivion.
The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.
"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.
For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"
"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or can become complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."
A Brink of Catastrophe
What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it moved towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.
"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."
The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.
The Divergent Viewpoint
Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of events.
"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."
An Unlikely Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.
"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."
"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."
Modern Echoes and Present Perils
Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend