‘After almost annihilating our world, the families are allies’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world came nearer toward annihilation more so than ever during the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane found that Russian nuclear missile installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly 14 days filled with impossible stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat was clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals detest each other and go against each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have obliterated the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to grasp