‘After nearly annihilating our world, the families have become friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic missile bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its attempt to explore: "Why do nations detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept towards disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, 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 outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that view would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn