‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our families are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet atomic weapon installations were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks of impossible anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was the United States considering?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can people hate one another and go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

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

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn