‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives have become friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
During October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade around the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.
The Catastrophic Danger
The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging humanity toward total ruination.
The October crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.
"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.
In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they go against each other?"
"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."
A Precipice Towards Disaster
What’s notable about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.
"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."
The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.
The Divergent Perspective
Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different picture of events.
"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."
Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."
An Unlikely Collaboration
This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."
Modern Echoes with Present Perils
Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend
