Following nearly annihilating our world, our families have become friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
During the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened after an American reconnaissance aircraft identified that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of impossible stress.
The Unthinkable Threat
The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting humanity into all-out ruination.
The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.
"What were the Kremlin planning? What were Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.
In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"
"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."
A Brink Towards Catastrophe
What is notable about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.
"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."
The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.
The Divergent Viewpoint
Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened.
"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "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 avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."
An Unprecedented Partnership
The Bomb is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."
Modern Parallels and Present Perils
Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp
