Following almost annihilating our planet, the families have become friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the United States considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest one another and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time as it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp