‘After nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives have become friends’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

During the month of October 1962, the planet edged closer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear missile sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight of extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was palpable. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting mankind into all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel element into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

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

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable it is that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over when nations have gone to war, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

A Precipice of Disaster

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, people around the world could watch almost in real time as it edged closer to disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, which would've obliterated our aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful outcome," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend