‘After almost destroying our world, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase was almost two weeks of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, in books, films, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the American side thinking?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can individuals detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become complete adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s notable about this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them was pushing for military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Subsequently, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America 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, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes 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 had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp