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

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This transpired when an American reconnaissance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon installations were under construction in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. What followed constituted nearly 14 days of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind into total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined endlessly, in books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What was Washington considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

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

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens around the world could watch almost as it happened while it moved towards disaster. Even so, the threat 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," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've deployed a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp