‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our relatives are friends’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to question: "How can nations detest each other and confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people can be allies or can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp