‘After nearly annihilating our planet, our families are allies’: the thrilling audio series featuring John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity came closer toward ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance aircraft discovered the fact that Russian atomic weapon sites were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained clear. Should Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a cascade of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes would have ensued, thrusting mankind into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures that, for 13 days, held the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What was Washington considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals hate one another to the point they go against each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable it is that individuals have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over when nations have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice of Disaster

What’s remarkable about this event is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch almost as it happened as it edged closer to armageddon. Even so, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have sunk the aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's primary naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the tension was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that interpretation was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, it was considered a defeat for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. 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 these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "That is unfortunate since we got along really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Finally, following almost 60 years of almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, so I think the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp