‘After almost destroying the world, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer to ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred after an American reconnaissance aircraft found that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting mankind into total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders that, over 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What were the American side thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp