‘After almost annihilating the planet, our families have become allies’: a thrilling podcast from JFK & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward ruin more so than ever during modern times. This occurred when an American reconnaissance aircraft identified that Soviet nuclear missile sites were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the US mainland. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a maritime blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted almost two weeks filled with unbearable stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained clear. If President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire on their enemy, a cascade involving global nuclear strikes and retaliatory strikes might have followed, plunging humanity into total oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered repeatedly, through books, movies, as well as TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb has brought a novel dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures who, for two tense weeks, held the fate of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin considering? What were the American side thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show is its endeavor to explore: "How can nations detest each other and oppose each other?"

"I am acutely aware how remarkable it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic over and over in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Catastrophe

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time while it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the danger of annihilation was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians stationed there would've fired a nuclear warhead against the American ships, and that would have destroyed our naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have responded through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to Kennedy and Khrushchev, they managed to exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when everyone in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The relief was palpable, as was the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was felt by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening day," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a defeat for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, has to be a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," notes Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is unfortunate since we connected really well and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since nearly annihilating the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why this series seems so urgent is that we once again are living living through a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend