‘After almost annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This happened after a US surveillance plane identified that Soviet atomic missile bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a chain reaction involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes might have followed, casting civilization into total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented dimension to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What was the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "How can nations hate one another to the point they confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that people have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments demanded action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about it through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn