Following almost destroying the planet, the relatives are friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired after an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost 14 days of impossible tension.
An Catastrophic Danger
The threat remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting mankind into total oblivion.
This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, over two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.
"What were the Soviet side considering? What were Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.
For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they confront each other?"
"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."
A Precipice of Disaster
What is striking about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, people around the world could watch almost in real time while it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.
"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.
The Different Viewpoint
Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.
"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."
An Unprecedented Collaboration
The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.
"We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Echoes with Present Dangers
Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn