‘After almost annihilating our world, the relatives are allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This occurred after an American surveillance plane identified the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly two weeks of unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented repeatedly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the men who, over 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What were the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to question: "Why do people detest each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone around them were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend