‘After almost destroying our world, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost 14 days of unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was clear. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade of worldwide atomic strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, plunging mankind toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through books, films, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the leaders who, for 13 days, grasped the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What was Washington planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can nations detest one another and confront one another?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be friends or else have the potential to be total enemies," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over when countries enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Disaster

What is remarkable about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened while it moved towards armageddon. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated the naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp