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

During the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people hate one another and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally could watch almost in real time while it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and 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, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn