‘After nearly annihilating the world, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This happened when an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile bases were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around the island. The next phase was nearly two weeks of extreme tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What was the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time as it edged towards armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn