‘After nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives are allies’: the gripping audio series featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged closer to destruction than at any other point in modern times. This happened after an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade around the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, thrusting civilization into total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, over 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally could watch almost as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. Even so, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would 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 sign of optimism.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp