‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired when a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting civilization toward total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

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

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent remembers 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, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend