🔗 Share this article ‘After nearly destroying the world, the relatives are allies’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives. In October 1962, the planet came closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around the island. What followed was nearly two weeks of extreme tension. The Catastrophic Threat The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting mankind into all-out ruination. This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel perspective to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp. "What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations. In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can nations detest one another and oppose one another?" "It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight." The Precipice Towards Catastrophe What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised. "The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels 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 eradicated all life on Earth." The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope. A Different Perspective Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events. "As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful and sunny." Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States." A Unlikely Partnership The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope. "Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family." "But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit." Modern Echoes and Current Dangers Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp
In October 1962, the planet came closer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around the island. What followed was nearly two weeks of extreme tension. The Catastrophic Threat The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting mankind into all-out ruination. This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel perspective to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp. "What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations. In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can nations detest one another and oppose one another?" "It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight." The Precipice Towards Catastrophe What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised. "The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels 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 eradicated all life on Earth." The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope. A Different Perspective Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events. "As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful and sunny." Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States." A Unlikely Partnership The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope. "Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family." "But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit." Modern Echoes and Current Dangers Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp