Following nearly annihilating the planet, the families are friends’: a gripping podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward destruction than at any other point in recent history. This transpired when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind into total ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel dimension to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What were the American side planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over in instances where nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time as it moved towards catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that view was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn