‘After almost annihilating our planet, the relatives are friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind into total ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another and confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be allies or else can become total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved closer to disaster. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips 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 groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

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

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend