Following almost annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.
During October 1962, humanity came closer to destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred after an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.
The Unthinkable Danger
The threat remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity into total destruction.
This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.
"What was the Russians considering? What were the United States thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.
In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest each other and oppose each other?"
"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."
The Precipice of Disaster
What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.
"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."
The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.
A Different Perspective
Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about it through the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."
Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, 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, because he didn’t blow up the United States."
A Unlikely Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.
"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Echoes and Present Perils
Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp
