‘After almost destroying the world, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity veered closer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting humanity toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be allies or can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s striking about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp