‘After almost annihilating the world, the families are friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged closer to annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This occurred when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost two weeks of impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to 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 as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it moved closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp