Following nearly annihilating the world, the families have become allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging civilization into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can people detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people can be friends or can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series 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, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend