Following almost annihilating our world, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What were Washington considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp