Following almost annihilating the world, the relatives are allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to ruin than at any other point in recent history. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Soviet atomic missile sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine around Cuba. The next phase was nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Threat

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a cascade of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a novel perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity in their hands.

"What was the Russians considering? What were Washington thinking?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate one another and go against each other?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that people have the potential to be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally were able to observe almost in real time as it edged closer to disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. Yet, really, the most momentous thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We 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 the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp