🔗 Share this article Following nearly destroying our planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives. In October 1962, humanity veered closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with impossible anxiety. An Unthinkable Threat The threat was obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization into total ruination. The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands. "What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the United States planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations. In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?" "It struck me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." A Precipice Towards Disaster What is striking about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it edged towards disaster. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised. "Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth." The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope. A Different Perspective Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened. "As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny." Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America." A Unprecedented Collaboration The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism. "We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit." Modern Echoes and Present Perils Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn
In October 1962, humanity veered closer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with impossible anxiety. An Unthinkable Threat The threat was obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization into total ruination. The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands. "What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the United States planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations. In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest each other to the point they oppose one another?" "It struck me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." A Precipice Towards Disaster What is striking about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it edged towards disaster. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised. "Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth." The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope. A Different Perspective Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened. "As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny." Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America." A Unprecedented Collaboration The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism. "We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children." "However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit." Modern Echoes and Present Perils Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn