‘After nearly annihilating our world, the families are allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity edged closer to destruction than at any other point in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost two weeks of impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting mankind into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented element into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or else can become complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina learned about it through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp