Following nearly annihilating the planet, our families are allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the planet came closer toward annihilation than at any other point in the contemporary era. This happened when a US reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The next phase constituted nearly a fortnight filled with extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a chain reaction involving global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in volumes, movies, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective to the story. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest each other and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that individuals can be allies or can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, highlighting the sheer folly involved to fight."

The Brink Towards Disaster

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly wonderful or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it was unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, has to be a sign of hope.

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

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels and Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series feels so necessary is because we once again are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to learn