🔗 Share this article Following nearly destroying our planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants. In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable tension. The Catastrophic Threat The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out oblivion. This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands. "What was the Russians considering? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations. For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose each other?" "I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare." The Brink Towards Disaster What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet." The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism. The Different Viewpoint Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened. "You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny." Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States." A Unlikely Collaboration This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. 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 Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family." "But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat." Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp
In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable tension. The Catastrophic Threat The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out oblivion. This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands. "What was the Russians considering? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations. For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose each other?" "I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare." The Brink Towards Disaster What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time. "Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet." The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism. The Different Viewpoint Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened. "You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny." Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States." A Unlikely Collaboration This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. 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 Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family." "But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat." Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp