‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our families are friends’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when an American surveillance plane discovered that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations hate each other and go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people globally could watch nearly as it happened as it moved towards catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend