Following nearly destroying our planet, our families have become friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This transpired after a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting mankind toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've sunk our naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn