‘After almost destroying our world, the families are friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.
In October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase was almost two weeks of impossible tension.
The Unthinkable Danger
The peril was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging humanity toward all-out destruction.
This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.
"What was the Kremlin considering? What was the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.
In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations hate each other and go against one another?"
"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."
The Precipice of Disaster
What’s striking about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than most people realised.
"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our naval vessels and sunk our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."
The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.
A Different Perspective
Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.
"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."
A Unlikely Collaboration
The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."
Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers
Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend