‘After almost destroying the world, our families are allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.
In October 1962, the world came closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when an American reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.
An Catastrophic Threat
The peril was obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out ruination.
This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.
"What was the Kremlin planning? What were the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.
For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they confront one another?"
"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."
A Precipice of Disaster
What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.
"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."
The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.
The Different Viewpoint
Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.
"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine or sunny."
Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."
A Unprecedented Collaboration
The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."
Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers
Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp
