‘After nearly annihilating the world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting mankind into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. However, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels and sunk America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn