Following almost annihilating our planet, our families are allies’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase was nearly a fortnight filled with extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate each other and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. Even so, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp