🔗 Share this article Following nearly destroying our world, the families are allies’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants. In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with impossible anxiety. The Catastrophic Danger The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, casting civilization into total ruination. The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp. "What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations. In her view, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another and confront each other?" "It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." The Brink Towards Catastrophe What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time. "Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth." The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope. The Different Viewpoint Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events. "As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive." Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States." A Unprecedented Partnership This podcast is so balanced and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope. "We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat." Modern Echoes and Present Dangers Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp
In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with impossible anxiety. The Catastrophic Danger The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, casting civilization into total ruination. The Cuban missile crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp. "What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in global relations. In her view, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another and confront each other?" "It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." The Brink Towards Catastrophe What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time. "Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth." The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope. The Different Viewpoint Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events. "As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive." Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States." A Unprecedented Partnership This podcast is so balanced and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope. "We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat." Modern Echoes and Present Dangers Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp