‘After almost destroying our planet, our relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, humanity came nearer toward annihilation than at any other point during the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that an American surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction in Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. In response, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval quarantine encircling Cuba. What followed constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Danger

The danger was clear. If Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a chain reaction involving worldwide atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have followed, thrusting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, in books, movies, as well as television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel perspective to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the leaders that, for 13 days, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians considering? What were the United States planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that people can be friends or else can become total enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally could watch nearly as it happened as it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, we would have responded through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when everyone around them was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or sunny."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that interpretation would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous thing is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following almost 60 years since nearly annihilating the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn