Following almost annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: a thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the planet came closer to annihilation than at any other point during modern times. This transpired when a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable anxiety.

An Catastrophic Threat

The threat was clear. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have ensued, plunging civilization toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, in books, movies, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought an unprecedented dimension into this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the figures that, for 13 days, held the fate of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its attempt to explore: "How can nations hate each other to the point they go against each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that people have the potential to be friends or else can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s striking regarding this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, individuals globally could watch nearly as it happened while it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation came closer than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different picture of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, seen as a positive outcome," she continues. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, due to contributions from historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Dangers

Or is it? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend