‘After almost destroying the world, our relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened when a US surveillance plane found that Russian atomic missile installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it crept closer to disaster. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend