‘After nearly destroying the world, the families are friends’: the thrilling audio series featuring JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet veered nearer to destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened when an American reconnaissance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon sites were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers off the coast of the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days of impossible stress.

The Catastrophic Danger

The threat was obvious. If Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a chain reaction involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have followed, plunging mankind toward total destruction.

The October crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel perspective into this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the leaders that, for two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side considering? What was the United States thinking?" questions Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do people detest one another and confront each other?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and currently an author as well as lawyer. "We see this dynamic over and over when nations enter into conflict, highlighting the profound irrationality it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink of Catastrophe

What is notable about this event was that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, people worldwide could watch almost as it happened while it edged closer to catastrophe. Even so, the threat of destruction was more imminent than most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when everyone around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina learned about it via the USSR's education system, which presented a slightly different version of what happened.

"You said your parent remembers it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that everything was constantly fine or sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that view would not be held by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is so even-handed , expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the leaders of America and USSR would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We are not the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we got along really well and now we are friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since almost destroying the planet, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we once again find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn