‘After nearly destroying the planet, the relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged closer toward ruin than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred following the discovery that an American reconnaissance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile sites were being built in Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. In response, President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval blockade encircling the island. The ensuing period constituted nearly a fortnight of unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. If Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on the other side, a series of global atomic attacks and counterstrikes could have ensued, casting mankind into total oblivion.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a novel element to this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Soviet side considering? What was Washington thinking?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in global relations.

In her view, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be allies or else can become total enemies," adds Max Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations enter into conflict, demonstrating the sheer folly involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it unfolded in the global spotlight, individuals worldwide could watch nearly in real time as it moved closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of destruction was more imminent than anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted a military strike and a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon at the American ships, which would have sunk our aircraft carriers and destroyed our largest and most important fleet. In turn, the U.S. would have responded with an overwhelming counterattack which would have ended all life on the planet."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, who managed to exercise restraint and calmly negotiate when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about it through the USSR's education system, which portrayed an alternative version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father remembers it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive outcome," 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, because he refrained from destroying America."

A Unlikely Partnership

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable for relatives of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost 60 years since almost destroying the world, our lineages are now friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent 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 world leaders don’t seem to be able to learn