‘After almost annihilating our world, the families have become allies’: the gripping podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came closer toward ruin more so than ever in recent history. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft identified that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase constituted nearly two weeks of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat was clear. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can nations detest one another and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people can be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time while it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer 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 using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to learn