Following almost destroying the planet, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with impossible anxiety.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be allies or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s notable about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, citizens around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles from Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative 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 unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp