‘After almost annihilating the planet, our families are allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward destruction more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened when an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, casting mankind into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were the American side considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp