Following almost annihilating our planet, the relatives have become friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world came closer toward destruction than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after a US reconnaissance aircraft found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine around the island. What followed constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. Should Kennedy, or else his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the men who, over two tense weeks, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was the American side planning?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of destruction was more imminent than what anybody realised.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've sunk our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and the USSR would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp