Following almost destroying our planet, the relatives are allies’: a gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the planet came closer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired after an American surveillance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting humanity into total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, movies, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What were Washington considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate each other and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or can become total adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted 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 fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the 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 hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend