‘After almost annihilating our planet, our families have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.
During October 1962, the world came nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.
An Catastrophic Danger
The peril was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging humanity into all-out destruction.
This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.
"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the United States thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.
In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another to the point they go against each other?"
"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."
A Brink of Catastrophe
What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.
"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."
The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.
The Different Viewpoint
Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.
"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and positive."
Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."
An Unprecedented Partnership
This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."
"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."
Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers
Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn