‘After almost destroying the world, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet came nearer to destruction than at any other point during recent history. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed was almost 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What were the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves 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 comprehend