‘After nearly annihilating our planet, the relatives have become allies’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward destruction more so than ever in the contemporary era. This happened following the discovery that an American surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with impossible tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes would have followed, casting civilization into total destruction.

The October crisis has been documented endlessly, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What were the United States thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can people detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that humans can be friends or can become total enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it transpired so publicly, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved towards disaster. However, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they succeeded in exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, and Nina learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that things are always wonderful or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Later on, though, that interpretation was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear side by side. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We are not the first," smiles Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn