‘After nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.
In October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This transpired after an American surveillance plane discovered that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks filled with extreme tension.
The Unthinkable Danger
The danger was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward all-out oblivion.
The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.
"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.
In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to question: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they go against each other?"
"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or can become total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."
A Precipice of Catastrophe
What is remarkable about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened as it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.
"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.
A Different Viewpoint
Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.
"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."
An Unprecedented Partnership
This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.
"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."
Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils
Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend