Following almost annihilating our world, the families have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.
In October 1962, humanity came closer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian atomic missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable stress.
The Catastrophic Threat
The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward total ruination.
This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.
"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.
In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other and oppose each other?"
"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."
The Brink of Catastrophe
What is striking regarding this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly as it happened while it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.
"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."
The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.
The Divergent Viewpoint
Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."
Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."
A Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.
"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."
Modern Echoes with Current Perils
Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend