‘After almost annihilating our planet, the families are friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet came nearer to ruin more so than ever during modern times. This happened following the discovery that a US reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being assembled in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime quarantine around the island. The next phase was almost a fortnight filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Threat

The threat remained palpable. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, casting civilization into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented extensively, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel element into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side planning? What were Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the show lies in its attempt to objectively ask: "Why do nations detest one another and confront one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that humans can be friends or can become total enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is remarkable regarding this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide were able to observe nearly in real time as it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors wanted an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, which would've sunk our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed our primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she continues. Subsequently, however, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected immediately and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, so I think the world is safer, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn