‘After nearly annihilating our world, our relatives have become allies’: a thrilling audio series from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the world came closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred after a US surveillance plane discovered that Soviet atomic missile sites were being assembled on Cuba, less than 100 miles from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to impose a naval quarantine encircling the island. The ensuing period was almost 14 days filled with unbearable tension.

An Catastrophic Danger

The threat remained obvious. Should President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new perspective to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men that, for two tense weeks, controlled the fate of humanity in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What were the United States considering?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "How can individuals hate one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how spectacular the fact that humans have the potential to be allies or can become complete adversaries," adds Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where nations have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is striking about the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired so publicly, people worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it crept closer to catastrophe. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than what anybody realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to keep their heads while calmly negotiate when everyone in their governments were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which presented an alternative picture of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening day," she says. "However for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly wonderful and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion it was, as it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus avoided the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. Later on, however, that perspective was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Nina jokes it almost made her forget she already knew the ending. This effect is, in part, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of the United States and Soviet Union to appear side by side. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," notes Nina. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we had never met before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame because we connected immediately and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp