‘After almost annihilating our world, our relatives are friends’: a gripping audio series featuring John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the world came closer to ruin than at any other point in recent history. This happened when an American surveillance plane found the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled in the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a chain reaction involving worldwide nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, casting humanity toward all-out ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, through books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension into the story. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the figures who, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Soviet side thinking? What was the American side thinking?" ponders Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also an academic specializing in international affairs.

For her, the unique appeal of the podcast lies in its endeavor to question: "Why do individuals detest one another and go against one another?"

"I am acutely aware how spectacular it is that humans have the potential to be friends or have the potential to be complete enemies," states Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid it is to fight."

The Brink Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, because it transpired in the global spotlight, individuals globally could watch almost in real time as it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of annihilation was more imminent than what most people realised.

"The overwhelming majority in the White House wanted an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, undoubtedly Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, which would have sunk our naval vessels as well as sunk our primary fleet. And, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to remain calm and engaging in diplomacy when hawkish elements in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his similar weapons based in Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Still, during those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world shortly after the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the USSR's education system, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to resolve it, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, simply he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so balanced and well produced so much so that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union to appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, a relative moved to America and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate since we got along immediately and we are friends, which is wonderful. Finally, following nearly 60 years since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting the world is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders don’t seem to be able to comprehend