Following almost annihilating the planet, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward ruin than at any other point in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting civilization into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented extensively, in volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What was Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest each other and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend