‘After almost destroying our world, our families have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world came closer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet atomic missile bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging humanity into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through books, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time while it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them were advocating action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to learn