‘After almost annihilating our world, our families have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft identified that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days of impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show is its attempt to question: "How can individuals hate one another and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have destroyed the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living 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