Following nearly annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.
In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable stress.
The Unthinkable Threat
The peril was palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out oblivion.
This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.
"What were the Russians planning? What were Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.
For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest each other and confront one another?"
"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or else can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."
A Brink Towards Catastrophe
What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people realised.
"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."
The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.
A Different Perspective
Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.
"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."
A Unlikely Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.
"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Parallels with Present Dangers
Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn