‘After nearly destroying the planet, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction more so than ever during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane identified that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built in the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction involving global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging mankind into total destruction.

The October crisis has been covered extensively, in books, films, and television programmes. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards disaster. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, they managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate since we connected really well and we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp