Following nearly annihilating our world, our relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into this historical narrative. 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 world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it crept closer to disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following 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 Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp