Following almost destroying the world, the relatives are allies’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.
During October 1962, humanity edged nearer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of extreme anxiety.
An Catastrophic Danger
The threat was palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out destruction.
The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.
"What was the Russians planning? What were the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.
For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another and oppose one another?"
"It struck me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be friends or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."
The Brink of Catastrophe
What’s striking about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.
"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."
The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.
A Different Perspective
Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.
"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."
Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."
An Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation 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 can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.
"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."
"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."
Modern Echoes with Current Dangers
Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend