‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the families are friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This occurred after an American surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into total ruination.

The Cuban missile 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 introduces a novel dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. And, we 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 exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend