‘After nearly annihilating our world, the families have become allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened after a US surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted almost two weeks of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, casting civilization into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe almost as it happened as it moved towards armageddon. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn