‘After almost annihilating our world, the families are allies’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world came closer to ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting civilization toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it edged closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through 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 comprehend