The Bomb Kennedy and Khrushchev: 4. Almost caught
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Dec 22, 2025 Join historian Serhii Plohi, expert on Soviet strategy and author of Nuclear Folly, as he uncovers the covert journey of Soviet missiles to Cuba. Plohi reveals the dire conditions faced by Soviet troops and Khrushchev’s cunning tactics to distract Kennedy with Berlin. Personal insights from hosts Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva enhance the narrative, shedding light on the political pressures that shaped decisions during this tense period. The startling intelligence failures and U-2 discoveries lead to an impending crisis, keeping listeners on the edge of their seats.
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U-2 Pilot Shot Down Over USSR
- A U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was shot down over the USSR and later imprisoned, showing the risks of high-altitude surveillance.
- Moscow displayed parts of his plane as proof of American deceit and the flights nonetheless continued.
Overcrowded Soviet Voyages To Cuba
- Soviet troops and technicians shipped to Cuba endured appalling, overcrowded conditions aboard ships like the Omsk.
- Sergei Plohi and Michael Dobbs describe men packed 'like sardines' to keep the operation secret despite low morale.
Guns Of August Shaped Kennedy's Caution
- Kennedy's reading of The Guns of August sharpened his fear that miscommunication can unintentionally lead to war.
- He explicitly warned Khrushchev that failures in communication and misunderstanding have driven past catastrophic conflicts.
