‘After almost annihilating our planet, our relatives are friends’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp