War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Aleksei Adzhubei, 1986
Description:
Aleksei Adzhubei was the former editor of Izvestia, the official Soviet government newspaper, and the son-in-law of Nikita Khrushchev. In the interview he discusses Khrushchev's relationships with U.S. and other foreign leaders. He details the "heated arguments" between Nixon and Khrushchev, including the famous "kitchen debate" in 1959, noting that the two leaders quarreled "like children." He provides a colorful depiction of Khrushchev's meeting with Castro in Harlem, New York, in 1960. Adzhubei discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis at length, including his feelings toward Cuba and Khrushchev's relationship with Kennedy at the time. He recalls his sympathetic feelings towards Kennedy as a young but capable leader. Related topics include the resolution of the crisis and it's negative effect on Khrushchev's standing in the Soviet Union. He also describes the Soviet Union's ongoing attempts for military parity with the U.S. and the changed views on nuclear weapons.
