‘After almost annihilating our planet, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer toward destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting mankind into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch nearly in real time as it crept towards catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn