🔗 Share this article Following nearly destroying the planet, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives. In October 1962, the planet edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible stress. An Catastrophic Threat The threat remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting civilization into all-out ruination. This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world in their hands. "What were the Soviet side considering? What were the United States planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs. In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they confront each other?" "It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight." The Brink of Catastrophe What is striking about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to disaster. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet." The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism. The Divergent Viewpoint Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened. "You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and positive." Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States." An Unprecedented Partnership This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. 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 are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family." "But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat." Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend
In October 1962, the planet edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible stress. An Catastrophic Threat The threat remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting civilization into all-out ruination. This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world in their hands. "What were the Soviet side considering? What were the United States planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs. In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they confront each other?" "It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight." The Brink of Catastrophe What is striking about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to disaster. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet." The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism. The Divergent Viewpoint Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened. "You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and positive." Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States." An Unprecedented Partnership This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. 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 are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family." "But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat." Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend