‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance aircraft identified that Soviet atomic missile bases were being built on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks filled with extreme tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat was palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have followed, casting civilization toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined endlessly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do people hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and attorney. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe nearly as it happened while it edged towards disaster. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend