‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.
In October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane found that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.
The Catastrophic Threat
The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting humanity toward total destruction.
This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.
"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.
For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they confront each other?"
"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."
A Precipice of Disaster
What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time while it crept closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.
"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.
A Different Viewpoint
Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.
"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine or sunny."
Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."
A Unlikely Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.
"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."
Modern Echoes with Present Dangers
Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn
