Following nearly annihilating our world, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in modern times. This occurred when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon bases were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization toward total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element to the story. The series is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate one another and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Brink of Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened as it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger 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 Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Nina quips she nearly forgot she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable that descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of optimism.

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

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to learn