Following nearly destroying the world, the families are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This happened after a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was palpable. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that people can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn