Following nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives have become friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.
In October 1962, humanity edged closer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This occurred when an American reconnaissance plane identified that Russian atomic missile sites were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible tension.
An Catastrophic Threat
The peril was obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting mankind into total destruction.
The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.
"What was the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.
For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals detest each other and confront one another?"
"It struck me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."
A Precipice of Disaster
What’s notable about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world could watch almost in real time while it crept towards disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.
"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."
The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.
The Different Perspective
Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.
"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."
Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."
An Unprecedented Partnership
This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.
"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."
"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."
Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils
Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn
