Main content

8. The logic of war

The BombKennedy and Khrushchev
Episode 8 of 10

Troops in Cuba fear an attack is imminent, as alarm grows around the world. The two leaders search desperately for a way out of the crisis.

Troops in Cuba fear an attack is imminent, as alarm grows around the world. Fidel Castro urges Khrushchev to strike first. The Soviet premier warns President Kennedy, in a long and emotional letter, that “the knot of war” has been tied - soon "even he who tied it will not have the strength to untie it”. This is the personal and political story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, told by Nina Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy.

Available now

38 minutes

On radio

Wed 21 Jan 202604:32GMT
BBC World Service

More episodes

Previous

7. Eyeball to eyeballKennedy and Khrushchev

Next

Episode 9Kennedy and Khrushchev

See all episodes from The Bomb

Featured

  • .

Broadcasts

  • Wed 21 Jan 202604:32GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Wed 21 Jan 202613:32GMT
    BBC World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
  • Wed 21 Jan 202618:32GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Wed 21 Jan 202623:32GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 24 Jan 202609:32GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia
  • Sat 24 Jan 202616:32GMT
    BBC World Service News Internet
  • Sat 24 Jan 202623:32GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only

Podcast

  • The Bomb

    How the nuclear bomb shaped world history