‘After nearly annihilating our world, the families have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.
In the month of October 1962, the world came nearer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks of extreme tension.
The Catastrophic Threat
The threat remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out destruction.
The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.
"What was the Russians thinking? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.
In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they go against one another?"
"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."
A Precipice Towards Disaster
What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.
"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."
The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.
A Different Viewpoint
Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."
A Unlikely Collaboration
This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.
"We aren't the pioneers," smiles 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," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Echoes and Present Dangers
Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend
