Following nearly destroying the world, the relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.
During the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with impossible stress.
The Catastrophic Danger
The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out oblivion.
The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element into the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.
"What were the Russians planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.
In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can people detest each other and confront one another?"
"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals can be friends or else can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."
A Precipice Towards Catastrophe
What is notable about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.
"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."
The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.
The Different Perspective
Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or positive."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."
An Unlikely Partnership
This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."
"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."
Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils
Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn
