‘After almost destroying the world, the families are friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet came closer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after a US surveillance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes would have followed, casting humanity into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented extensively, in volumes, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented perspective to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What was the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that individuals can be allies or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp