‘After nearly annihilating the world, our relatives have become allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series The Bomb presents a novel element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can people hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people can be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp