‘After nearly destroying the world, our families are allies’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction than at any other point during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a completely new element into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders that, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "How can individuals hate one another and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly as it happened while it edged closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn