Following nearly destroying our planet, the families have become friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world came closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting humanity toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What were the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do people hate each other and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time while it crept closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people 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 wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn