‘After almost annihilating the world, our families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity edged closer to annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, casting humanity toward total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate one another and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp