‘After almost annihilating our world, the families are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.
In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward ruin than at any other point in modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was nearly 14 days of unbearable anxiety.
An Catastrophic Threat
The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind toward total oblivion.
The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.
"What were the Russians thinking? What was the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.
In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"
"It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."
The Brink of Disaster
What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.
"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."
The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.
The Different Viewpoint
Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.
"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine or positive."
Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."
A Unprecedented Collaboration
This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would 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 pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."
Modern Echoes with Present Perils
Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp