‘After nearly destroying the planet, our relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet came nearer to annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired when an American reconnaissance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine around the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

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

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people detest one another and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp