‘After almost annihilating our planet, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to ruin than at any other point during modern times. This happened following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat was obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men who, over 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations hate one another and confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author as well as attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world could watch almost in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

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

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend