‘After almost annihilating our world, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world came nearer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting civilization toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel element into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the United States thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations hate each other and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend