‘After almost destroying our world, the relatives are friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred after an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was almost a fortnight filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes would have followed, plunging humanity toward total oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined extensively, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new element to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can nations detest each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or else can become total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened while it crept closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they managed to keep their heads and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn