Following almost annihilating our world, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity came closer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days of impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to 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 and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp