‘After almost destroying the world, the families have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered nearer to ruin than at any other point during modern times. This transpired after a US reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes would have ensued, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that people can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide were able to observe almost in real time while it moved towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she continues. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to learn