Following nearly destroying the planet, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found that Russian atomic weapon bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost two weeks of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have followed, thrusting mankind into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time while it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've sunk the naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp