‘After nearly destroying our planet, our families are friends’: a gripping podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, humanity came closer toward ruin more so than ever in modern times. This happened after a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet nuclear weapon bases were being built in the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted almost two weeks filled with impossible tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire on the other side, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and counterstrikes could have followed, casting civilization into all-out destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been documented endlessly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel dimension into the story. It is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the figures that, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What were the American side planning?" questions Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show is its endeavor to objectively ask: "How can nations detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that humans have the potential to be allies or else can become complete enemies," adds Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to the late president and now an author and attorney. "History shows this repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What is notable about this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world could watch almost in real time while it edged closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked Cuba using the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk the naval vessels and destroyed America's primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis via the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Within the Khrushchev household, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective would not be shared by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a symbol of hope.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the world, our lineages have become friends, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why this series seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves in dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders appear not to be able to grasp