‘After almost annihilating our planet, the families are friends’: the thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world came closer toward destruction than at any other point in modern times. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was nearly a fortnight of impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have followed, casting civilization into total ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents an unprecedented perspective to this historical narrative. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "How can people hate each other and confront one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be allies or can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly in real time while it crept closer to armageddon. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and a ground invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Still, for those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative version of events.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she continues. Subsequently, however, that perspective would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm with each other, has to be a symbol of progress.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "After 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend