Following almost destroying our world, the families have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
During the month of October 1962, the planet veered nearer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.
An Unthinkable Danger
The threat was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting civilization toward total ruination.
The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.
"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of international affairs.
In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can individuals detest one another and confront each other?"
"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."
The Brink of Disaster
What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.
"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."
The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.
The Divergent Perspective
Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.
"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."
Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."
A Unlikely Partnership
This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."
Modern Parallels with Present Perils
Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend
