Following almost annihilating the world, our relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world edged closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost two weeks of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time while it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn