Following nearly annihilating the planet, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward annihilation than at any other point in recent history. This transpired after a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet nuclear missile installations were under construction in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK directed a naval task force to enact a maritime quarantine encircling the island. What followed was almost a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity toward all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new element to the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men who, over two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

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

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast is its attempt to question: "How can individuals detest each other and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound it is that individuals can be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s striking about this event was that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time as it edged closer to armageddon. However, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than most people realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House wanted an airstrike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've destroyed our naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended most life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating military action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and avoided a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our lineages are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp