Following almost annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This happened after a US surveillance plane identified that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.
An Unthinkable Threat
The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting humanity toward all-out ruination.
This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new dimension into the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.
"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.
For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can nations hate each other to the point they confront one another?"
"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."
The Precipice Towards Catastrophe
What is notable regarding this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world could watch almost in real time while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.
"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.
A Different Perspective
Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.
"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine and positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."
A Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.
"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Parallels and Present Perils
Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend