🔗 Share this article Following nearly destroying our world, the families have become allies’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives. In October 1962, humanity veered closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when a US surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed was almost two weeks of impossible anxiety. The Catastrophic Danger The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind toward total oblivion. This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp. "What was the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs. For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do people hate each other and oppose each other?" "It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight." A Brink Towards Disaster What is notable about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened while it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet." The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism. The Different Viewpoint Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened. "As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and sunny." Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America." A Unlikely Collaboration The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress. "We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat." Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp
In October 1962, humanity veered closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when a US surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed was almost two weeks of impossible anxiety. The Catastrophic Danger The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind toward total oblivion. This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp. "What was the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs. For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do people hate each other and oppose each other?" "It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight." A Brink Towards Disaster What is notable about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened while it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet." The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism. The Different Viewpoint Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened. "As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and sunny." Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America." A Unlikely Collaboration The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress. "We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat." Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp