Following nearly annihilating the planet, the relatives have become friends’: a thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, humanity came closer to ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon bases were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. Should Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a series involving worldwide atomic strikes and counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures that, over two tense weeks, held the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What were the American side considering?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the show is its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, since it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

An Unlikely Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and the USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is that we once again are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn