‘After nearly annihilating our world, the families have become friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity edged closer to annihilation than at any other point during recent history. This occurred when an American surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, plunging civilization into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through books, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel element into the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations hate each other to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva being taught about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "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 were strangers prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend