Following almost annihilating our world, the relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer to destruction more so than ever during recent history. This occurred after a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear missile installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through volumes, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, over 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the American side planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can individuals detest each other and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world could watch almost as it happened as it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend