‘After almost destroying the world, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to question: "How can nations hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn