‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic missile sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

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

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens globally could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn