Following almost annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward ruin more so than ever during modern times. This transpired when an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon installations were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. What followed was almost a fortnight of extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting humanity into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension to the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What were Washington considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do people hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated our naval vessels and sunk our primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to comprehend