Following nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate each other and go against each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. However, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for 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 learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants 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.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn