Following almost destroying the planet, the relatives have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world came closer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, plunging humanity into total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

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

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved towards disaster. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn