Following nearly destroying the world, our relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity edged closer to annihilation more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance plane identified that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks filled with unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

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" has brought a completely new element into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What was the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "How can individuals detest each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that humans can be allies or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide were able to observe almost as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Nina learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that view was not shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to grasp