‘After almost destroying our planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging humanity into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend