‘After nearly destroying our world, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer toward destruction than at any other point in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that a US surveillance aircraft discovered that Russian atomic weapon bases were being built on Cuba, a mere 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a maritime blockade around Cuba. What followed was nearly 14 days filled with impossible tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack against the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented repeatedly, in books, films, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented dimension to the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What were the American side thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate each other and oppose one another?"

"I am acutely aware how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now a writer as well as attorney. "History shows this over and over when nations enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals around the world were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged closer to disaster. However, the risk of destruction came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have destroyed the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t stands as credit to both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in Cuba while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was the sense of hope.

The Divergent Viewpoint

Still, during those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which portrayed a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always wonderful and sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, seen as a wonderful outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most significant aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the heads of state of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We are not the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following nearly 60 years of nearly annihilating the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp