‘After nearly annihilating our world, the relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed was nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals hate one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about this event was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp