‘After nearly destroying the planet, the families have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity veered nearer to destruction than at any other point during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel dimension to the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or can become complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over when nations enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened as it moved closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are always wonderful or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We aren't the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend