‘After almost annihilating the world, the families are allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane identified that Russian atomic missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations detest each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that humans can be friends or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn