Following almost annihilating our world, the relatives have become allies’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world came closer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This happened after an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon sites were under construction on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new dimension into the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were the United States planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that humans can be allies or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened as it edged towards disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend