Following nearly annihilating the world, our relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world veered nearer toward ruin more so than ever during recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes might have followed, casting mankind toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new element to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What were Washington considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest each other and go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that people can be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author and attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is notable regarding this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time while it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have obliterated the aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Finally, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend