‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives are friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the world came closer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This occurred when a US surveillance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat was obvious. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

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

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "We see this over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it moved towards disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've destroyed the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp