‘After nearly destroying our planet, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever during recent history. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval blockade around the island. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade of global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element into the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "How can people hate one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, 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 Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn