‘After nearly destroying the planet, our families have become allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, casting mankind toward total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend