‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came nearer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was palpable. If Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes would have followed, plunging civilization toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, in books, movies, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men that, over two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Russians planning? What was Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide were able to observe nearly as it happened while it crept towards catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn