‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet veered closer toward ruin more so than ever during recent history. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting civilization into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new dimension to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was Washington considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

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

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp