🔗 Share this article Following almost destroying the planet, our families are friends’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives. In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of impossible stress. The Unthinkable Threat The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into total ruination. This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp. "What were the Russians thinking? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations. In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?" "It was not lost on me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." The Brink Towards Catastrophe What’s notable about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised. "Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth." The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism. The Different Viewpoint Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened. "As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive." Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America." An Unprecedented Partnership This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope. "We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family." "However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit." Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp
In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of impossible stress. The Unthinkable Threat The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into total ruination. This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp. "What were the Russians thinking? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations. In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?" "It was not lost on me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare." The Brink Towards Catastrophe What’s notable about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised. "Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth." The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism. The Different Viewpoint Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened. "As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive." Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America." An Unprecedented Partnership This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope. "We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family." "However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit." Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp