Following almost annihilating our world, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This transpired after a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained clear. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Russians planning? What was the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide could watch almost in real time while it crept closer to armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn