Following almost destroying the planet, our relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered closer toward ruin more so than ever during recent history. This occurred after an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was the American side considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that individuals can be friends or can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch almost in real time as it crept towards disaster. However, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that interpretation would not be held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp