Following nearly annihilating our world, the families are friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet veered nearer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was the American side thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations detest each other and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time as it moved towards armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn