US and Soviet Relatives Bring Cubian Missile Crisis Closer Than Ever
Nineteen sixty two was one of the most stressful periods in modern history. A US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear sites were being built near American soil. President John F Kennedy responded by imposing a naval blockade, putting the world on edge for almost 13 days.
The threat was clear: if Kennedy or Khrushchev fired first, global nuclear strikes and counter-strikes would have ensued, plunging humanity into destruction. The crisis has been covered extensively in books, films, and television programs, but its third season offers a fresh perspective through the podcast "The Bomb" co-hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva - relatives of the leaders.
"What was going through their minds?" asks Nina, Khrushchev's great-granddaughter. "How can people hate each other so much? We try to look at this objectively." Max, son of Robert Kennedy, adds that it is stupid for countries to fight when they could be friends.
Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike and invasion, but a US strike would have led to massive retaliation that would have ended life as we know it. The crisis was eventually resolved after Kennedy's calm negotiation with Khrushchev, who removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (though not reported at the time) removed his from Turkey.
The Bomb's hosts theorize that if Kennedy had not been killed the following year and Khrushchev removed from office the next year, the world might be a safer place today. The podcast also explores how the crisis almost forged a deeper relationship between America and Russia, but was instead overshadowed by future conflicts.
For those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable for everyone involved, even Max's father who grew up worrying about an impending war three years after the event.
Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through her Soviet education system, which portrayed events differently than they actually occurred. Inside Khrushchev's family, however, it was a different story: his children were taught that this was "eyeball to eyeball" moment where he and Kennedy resolved things without going to war.
The podcast also delves into how its hosts have become friends despite not knowing each other before the show. This friendship is unusual because even after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, relatives of America and Soviet leaders have never met in public before.
However, The Bomb also highlights that we are living through dark times again today, with nuclear threats still looming large on the global stage. Max expresses concern over Trump's administration, saying "I don't have confidence in these leaders." Khrushcheva adds that she too is worried about Putin, highlighting how a leader who once showed courage and restraint has now taken to using their power for show.
One key lesson from the Cuban Missile Crisis is the importance of leaders seeking every avenue to peace. The other is the need for leaders to understand each other's perspectives. Max recalls that Kennedy would try to put himself in Khrushchev's shoes when negotiating, understanding his needs and pressures.
Leadership responsibility has become a missing aspect in modern politics, according to Nina. She believes war should never happen under any circumstances, as it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but rather leaders have been willing to learn from past mistakes.
Nineteen sixty two was one of the most stressful periods in modern history. A US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear sites were being built near American soil. President John F Kennedy responded by imposing a naval blockade, putting the world on edge for almost 13 days.
The threat was clear: if Kennedy or Khrushchev fired first, global nuclear strikes and counter-strikes would have ensued, plunging humanity into destruction. The crisis has been covered extensively in books, films, and television programs, but its third season offers a fresh perspective through the podcast "The Bomb" co-hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva - relatives of the leaders.
"What was going through their minds?" asks Nina, Khrushchev's great-granddaughter. "How can people hate each other so much? We try to look at this objectively." Max, son of Robert Kennedy, adds that it is stupid for countries to fight when they could be friends.
Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike and invasion, but a US strike would have led to massive retaliation that would have ended life as we know it. The crisis was eventually resolved after Kennedy's calm negotiation with Khrushchev, who removed the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (though not reported at the time) removed his from Turkey.
The Bomb's hosts theorize that if Kennedy had not been killed the following year and Khrushchev removed from office the next year, the world might be a safer place today. The podcast also explores how the crisis almost forged a deeper relationship between America and Russia, but was instead overshadowed by future conflicts.
For those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable for everyone involved, even Max's father who grew up worrying about an impending war three years after the event.
Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through her Soviet education system, which portrayed events differently than they actually occurred. Inside Khrushchev's family, however, it was a different story: his children were taught that this was "eyeball to eyeball" moment where he and Kennedy resolved things without going to war.
The podcast also delves into how its hosts have become friends despite not knowing each other before the show. This friendship is unusual because even after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, relatives of America and Soviet leaders have never met in public before.
However, The Bomb also highlights that we are living through dark times again today, with nuclear threats still looming large on the global stage. Max expresses concern over Trump's administration, saying "I don't have confidence in these leaders." Khrushcheva adds that she too is worried about Putin, highlighting how a leader who once showed courage and restraint has now taken to using their power for show.
One key lesson from the Cuban Missile Crisis is the importance of leaders seeking every avenue to peace. The other is the need for leaders to understand each other's perspectives. Max recalls that Kennedy would try to put himself in Khrushchev's shoes when negotiating, understanding his needs and pressures.
Leadership responsibility has become a missing aspect in modern politics, according to Nina. She believes war should never happen under any circumstances, as it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but rather leaders have been willing to learn from past mistakes.
This podcast reminds me of that time when my granddad used to tell me about how stressful things were during the Cold War era... He always said that Kennedy and Khrushchev's leadership at that moment was like a 'calm eye in the storm' - it really showcases how different world leaders can make all the difference 
The fact that we're still dealing with nuclear threats is really concerning, but at least this podcast brings awareness and a fresh perspective to the table 
. Like, how cool is it that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are actually related to those leaders? 
It's crazy to think about the thought process behind John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev making those decisions back in '62. I mean, can you imagine being in their shoes, knowing the stakes? 
The way Max talks about how his dad grew up worrying about an impending war is so relatable 
.
.
. It's wild to think about what could have been if Kennedy hadn't been killed and Khrushchev hadn't been removed from office.
like US just finds out Soviet's buildin nukes near american soil & JFK is all " Naval blockade" 
& we're literally hangin by a thread for almost 13 days 
it's wild to think about how close we came to global destruction 
like what drove JFK & Khrushchev 2 brink of war 
max is worried bout trump's admin & nina iz concerned about putin too 
leadership responsibility is so lacking these days 
it's like, we can't just keep repeating the same mistakes over and over... we need to learn from our leaders' past experiences and work towards peace 
i'm also a little worried about trump's admin tho 
but anyway, thank you for sharing this! 
I'm getting major déjà vu listening to The Bomb podcast about the Cuban Missile Crisis... it's like we're reliving the same stuff all over again 
. Can't help but wonder if we've learned anything new or just repeating the same mistakes 
. We need more Max Kennedys and Nina Khrushchevas in politics who actually care about finding peace and understanding between nations 
. It's mind-blowing to think about how different our understanding of history would be if we didn't have access to this kind of firsthand info.
... it's crazy to think that they had to make decisions that could literally end humanity. I mean, who else could put themselves in JFK or Khrushchev's shoes and try to understand their perspectives? 
The fact that nuclear threats are still looming on the global stage is a major red flag 
. I'm all for diplomacy and understanding between nations, but it's clear that we've lost some of that in recent years.
.
. I love how Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are trying to shed light on this little-known aspect of history, it's so interesting! 
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
. Wouldn't that be something? 
. It's wild that we're still living in a world where nuclear threats are real and people are still spewing trash on Twitter 
. Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, I'm loving the depth you're bringing to this story... it's not just about the crisis itself, but how it affected their families and perspectives 
Max and Nina are like, so down-to-earth and relatable, it makes you feel like you're actually hearing their real thoughts 
. Its not always easy to see eye-to-eye with someone from a different side of politics, but its clear that Max and Nina are genuinely trying to have open conversations. We can all learn from their example to be more understanding and less divisive