‘After nearly annihilating the world, our families are friends’: a gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered closer toward annihilation more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile installations were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight of unbearable stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, casting mankind into all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were Washington planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans can be friends or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s notable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which painted a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine and positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected immediately and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Present Perils

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend