‘After nearly destroying our planet, the families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.
During October 1962, the planet edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear missile installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable anxiety.
The Unthinkable Danger
The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting civilization into all-out oblivion.
This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.
"What were the Kremlin planning? What were the United States thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in international affairs.
In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do people detest one another to the point they confront one another?"
"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or else can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."
A Brink Towards Disaster
What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.
"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."
The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.
A Divergent Viewpoint
Yet, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.
"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."
Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."
An Unlikely Collaboration
This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.
"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."
"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."
Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers
Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn