‘After almost annihilating the world, the families are friends’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world came closer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was clear. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization toward all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp