Following nearly annihilating our planet, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.
In October 1962, humanity came nearer to destruction more so than ever during recent history. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks filled with unbearable tension.
The Unthinkable Threat
The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging mankind toward total ruination.
The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective to the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.
"What was the Soviet side considering? What were Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.
For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can individuals detest one another and confront each other?"
"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans can be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."
The Brink of Catastrophe
What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.
"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."
The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.
A Different Perspective
Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."
An Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.
"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."
Modern Parallels and Present Perils
Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp