Following nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.
During the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane identified that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with extreme stress.
An Unthinkable Danger
The threat was palpable. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging mankind into total destruction.
The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.
"What were the Soviet side considering? What was the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.
In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations hate one another and go against one another?"
"It struck me how profound it is that people can be friends or can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."
The Brink of Disaster
What’s notable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.
"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."
The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.
A Different Perspective
Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."
An Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.
"We are not the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."
"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Echoes and Present Dangers
Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend