Following nearly destroying our world, the relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, casting civilization toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people detest each other and confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that individuals can be friends or else can become complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp