Following almost destroying our world, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity edged nearer to ruin than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft identified that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was palpable. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization into all-out destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

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

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that people can be friends or else can become total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when many advisors around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend