Following almost destroying the planet, the families are friends’: a thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened when an American surveillance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was Washington planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do people detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s notable about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn