‘Russians love their children too’: American women’s letters to Nikita Khrushchev and Nina Khrushcheva during the Cuban Missile Crisis

This article analyses hundreds of letters that US women wrote to Nikita Khrushchev and Nina Khrushcheva during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The sense of imminent nuclear threat prompted many women to engage with Cold War politics and directly address world leaders. Drawing on their traditional gender roles as mothers and wives, letter-writers were emboldened to confront political leaders about matters of war and peace, advocate for cross-border dialogue, and stress Americans’ and Soviets’ shared humanity. Through the prism of letters, the article explores the impact of the Cuban crisis on US society, the importance of letter-writing in female political activity, and women’s understanding of the Cold War.