Following almost destroying the world, the relatives are friends’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world came closer toward annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging humanity into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What were Washington thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that humans can be allies or can become complete adversaries," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time as it moved towards disaster. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp