‘After nearly annihilating the world, the families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend