Following almost destroying our planet, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly 14 days of unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward total ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the American side considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest one another and go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that people can be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to fight."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally could watch almost as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our naval vessels and sunk our primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp