Following nearly annihilating the world, our families are allies’: a gripping audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during recent history. This transpired after a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed constituted nearly 14 days of impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, plunging mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the audio documentary series The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people detest each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it moved towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have destroyed our naval vessels and sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend