Following nearly destroying the planet, our families are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity came nearer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired after an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders that, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people can be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch almost in real time while it crept closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed the naval vessels and sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend