Following nearly annihilating our world, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity came nearer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred after an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly 14 days of impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered endlessly, in volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time while it edged towards disaster. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and sunk America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp