Following almost annihilating the world, the families are allies’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a chain reaction involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were the United States planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "How can nations detest one another to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend