Following nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came closer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired after a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost 14 days of extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel element into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn