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

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer toward destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred after an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting civilization into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can people detest each other and go against each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or else can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 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 before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Dangers

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