‘After nearly destroying our planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer to ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed was almost a fortnight filled with extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting civilization into total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

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

For her, the strength of the show lies in its attempt to question: "How can people hate each other and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that individuals can be allies or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept closer to armageddon. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp