Following nearly destroying the world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
In October 1962, the world veered nearer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred when an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic missile installations were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.
The Unthinkable Threat
The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting humanity into total destruction.
The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.
"What was the Russians thinking? What was the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.
In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can people detest each other and go against each other?"
"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be friends or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."
The Precipice of Disaster
What’s striking about this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time as it crept closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.
"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."
The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.
The Different Perspective
Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.
"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or sunny."
Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."
A Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.
"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."
"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."
Modern Echoes and Current Dangers
Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend
