Following nearly destroying our world, our relatives have become allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity came nearer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear missile installations were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost 14 days of impossible stress.

An Catastrophic Threat

The danger remained clear. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a chain reaction of global nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes might have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new perspective into the story. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was the United States thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its attempt to question: "Why do nations detest each other and oppose each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that individuals can be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s notable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it moved towards disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary time," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, has to be a sign of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate because we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn