Following nearly annihilating our planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
During October 1962, the planet came nearer to ruin more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.
The Unthinkable Danger
The threat remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into total oblivion.
The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men who, over 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.
"What was the Russians thinking? What were the American side considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.
For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest each other and oppose each other?"
"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."
A Brink of Disaster
What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.
"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."
The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.
A Divergent Perspective
Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."
An Unprecedented Collaboration
The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.
"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."
"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Echoes with Current Dangers
Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp