Following almost destroying the planet, the relatives have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened when a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series involving global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, plunging civilization into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a novel perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals can be allies or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What is remarkable regarding this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend