‘After almost annihilating our planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction than at any other point in modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet atomic missile bases were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost two weeks filled with impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a series involving global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging mankind into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Russians considering? What were Washington considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people detest one another and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated the naval vessels and destroyed our primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn