‘After almost annihilating the planet, the families have become friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was Washington planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else can become total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world could watch almost in real time while it moved closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend