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

In October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight of impossible anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained clear. Should President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks and counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in books, films, and TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented element into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What was the American side planning?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can individuals detest one another and confront each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and now an author and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s striking about this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world could watch almost as it happened while it edged towards armageddon. However, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've sunk the naval vessels and sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about the crisis via the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to grasp