🔗 Share this article Following almost annihilating the planet, the relatives are allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives. During the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost two weeks of impossible stress. The Unthinkable Threat The peril was palpable. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting mankind into total ruination. The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp. "What was the Kremlin considering? What were Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs. In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?" "It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." A Brink of Catastrophe What is notable about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody realised. "The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet." The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism. A Different Viewpoint Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events. "You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny." Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States." An Unlikely Collaboration The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress. "We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit." Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp
During the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost two weeks of impossible stress. The Unthinkable Threat The peril was palpable. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting mankind into total ruination. The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp. "What was the Kremlin considering? What were Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs. In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?" "It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." A Brink of Catastrophe What is notable about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody realised. "The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet." The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism. A Different Viewpoint Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events. "You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny." Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States." An Unlikely Collaboration The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress. "We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit." Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp