Following almost annihilating our planet, the relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged nearer to ruin than at any other point in modern times. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase was nearly a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained clear. Should Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting civilization into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be friends or can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved towards catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the aircraft carriers and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different version of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly fine and 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. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to comprehend