‘After nearly destroying the world, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in international affairs.

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

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States 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 progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn