Following nearly annihilating our planet, our relatives are allies’: a thrilling podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, humanity veered closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This happened following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found that Russian nuclear weapon installations were being assembled on Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. What followed constituted nearly a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

The Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, plunging mankind into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through books, films, and TV documentaries. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces an unprecedented perspective into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the figures who, for 13 days, controlled the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the beauty of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular the fact that individuals can be friends or can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, related to JFK and currently an author and attorney. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding this event was that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens globally could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards disaster. Even so, the danger of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck Cuba with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces stationed there would have fired a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have sunk our aircraft carriers as well as sunk our primary naval force. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The reality it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments demanded military action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles from the Caribbean island while Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was immense, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, for those 13 days in October, the fear was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born in the years following these events, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly fine and sunny."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, however, that interpretation was not held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of hope.

"We are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," clarifies Max. "That is a shame since we connected really well and we’re friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly six decades since almost destroying the world, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that 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 be able to comprehend