Following nearly destroying the world, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world came closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost 14 days filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting humanity toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What were Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "How can individuals hate each other and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it crept towards disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn