‘After almost annihilating the world, our families have become friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered closer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft found that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled in the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. What followed constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What was Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Disaster

What is striking regarding this event was that, since it transpired so publicly, people around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"You said your father recalls it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn