‘After almost annihilating our world, our relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened after a US reconnaissance plane identified that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, thrusting humanity into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to explore: "How can nations detest one another and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it edged towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not 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."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

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

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend