‘After nearly annihilating our world, the relatives have become friends’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world edged closer to destruction more so than ever in modern times. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around Cuba. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a chain reaction of global atomic attacks followed by counterstrikes could have followed, plunging humanity into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that individuals can be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk the naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded 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 succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However 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. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to learn