During October 1962, the world edged nearer toward destruction than at any other point during modern times. This happened when an American surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of extreme tension.
The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total oblivion.
The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world in their hands.
"What were the Russians considering? What were the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of international affairs.
For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate each other and confront one another?"
"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."
What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly as it happened while it moved closer to disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people understood at the time.
"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."
The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.
Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.
"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."
Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."
The Bomb is so balanced and well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.
"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."
"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."
Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp
