‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet came nearer toward destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost two weeks of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians considering? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed 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 this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend