Following almost destroying our planet, our relatives have become friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear missile installations were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days filled with extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that people can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend