‘After nearly destroying the planet, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging mankind toward all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men that, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. However, the danger of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend