‘After almost destroying the world, the relatives have become friends’: the thrilling audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the world edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This transpired when a US reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian nuclear weapon sites were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The danger remained obvious. If Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a cascade of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting civilization toward total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered repeatedly, through volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a completely new perspective into the story. The series is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

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

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do nations detest each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What is remarkable about the Cuban missile crisis was that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it edged towards disaster. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the tension was palpable by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which presented a slightly different version of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion it was, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for the Soviet leader, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Finally, following nearly 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, suggesting the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Or is it? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp