Following almost annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet veered closer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This happened when an American surveillance plane identified that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction of worldwide atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp