‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the families have become friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.
In October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when an American surveillance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly two weeks of extreme tension.
The Unthinkable Threat
The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting humanity toward total oblivion.
The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel perspective into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.
"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.
In her view, the strength of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another and confront each other?"
"It struck me how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."
A Precipice Towards Disaster
What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.
"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."
The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.
The Divergent Perspective
Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.
"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."
A Unlikely Collaboration
The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.
"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."
"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."
Modern Parallels and Current Perils
Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp
