Following nearly annihilating our world, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world came closer toward ruin more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane found that Russian atomic missile bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade around the island. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible anxiety.

An Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting civilization into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new element into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men that, for 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the American side considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another and oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that individuals can be friends or else can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice of Disaster

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it crept towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and well produced that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend