Following almost annihilating the world, the families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came nearer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This occurred following the discovery that a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted almost two weeks filled with extreme tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril was palpable. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces an unprecedented dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side planning? What were the American side thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to explore: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be total adversaries," remarks Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this over and over when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Catastrophe

What is striking about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe nearly as it happened as it moved towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk our largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

The Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Nina learned about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people really didn’t know that much about it, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, though, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "Which is a shame since we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following almost six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn