Following almost destroying our planet, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity came closer toward ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired after a US surveillance plane identified that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting mankind into total ruination.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it crept closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again 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 be able to grasp