Following almost annihilating the planet, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to ruin more so than ever during recent history. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft identified that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging mankind toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented element to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "How can people hate one another and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn