Following nearly annihilating the world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.
In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.
The Catastrophic Danger
The peril remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind into total destruction.
The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.
"What were the Russians thinking? What were the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.
For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate each other and oppose one another?"
"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."
The Precipice Towards Catastrophe
What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.
"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.
A Divergent Perspective
Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine and sunny."
Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."
An Unprecedented Collaboration
This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."
Modern Echoes and Current Dangers
Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn