Following almost annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.
In October 1962, the planet veered closer toward ruin than at any other point in recent history. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of impossible tension.
The Catastrophic Threat
The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, plunging humanity into all-out destruction.
The October crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.
"What was the Russians considering? What was the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.
In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals detest each other and go against each other?"
"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people can be allies or can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."
A Precipice of Disaster
What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.
"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."
The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.
A Divergent Viewpoint
Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."
Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."
A Unlikely Collaboration
The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.
"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying 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 The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend