‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer toward annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest each other and confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be allies or have the potential to be total enemies," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals worldwide were able to observe almost in real time as it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation would not be shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason this series seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend