‘After almost destroying the world, our relatives are friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came closer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This happened after an American surveillance aircraft identified that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people detest each other and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept towards catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

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