‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired after an American reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks of extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging civilization toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can nations hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved towards disaster. Even so, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "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 Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend