Following almost annihilating the planet, our families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world veered nearer to ruin more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through books, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "How can individuals detest each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would 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 sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend