Following nearly annihilating the world, our relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer to destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US surveillance plane found the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What was the United States thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate each other and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to learn