‘After almost destroying the world, our families are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In October 1962, the world edged nearer toward destruction than at any other point during the contemporary era. This happened after an American reconnaissance plane found the fact that Russian atomic missile installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President John F Kennedy ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase constituted almost a fortnight filled with unbearable tension.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or else the Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade of global atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, casting humanity into total destruction.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined repeatedly, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents an unprecedented dimension to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members belonging to the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin considering? What was Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its attempt to explore: "Why do people hate each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that individuals have the potential to be friends or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," adds Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this over and over in instances where countries enter into conflict, demonstrating the profound irrationality involved to fight."

The Brink of Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost in real time while it crept closer to armageddon. Nonetheless, the threat of annihilation was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike and an invasion," explains Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead against the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as sunk America's primary naval force. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in exercise restraint and calmly negotiate at a time when hawkish elements around them were advocating military action. As a result, Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles from Cuba while President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed then) removed American missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, with Nina being taught about it via the USSR's school curriculum, which painted an alternative picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced and expertly crafted that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, due to the participation of historians. But, really, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable for relatives of the leaders of the United States and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

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

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, somewhat."

Modern Parallels and Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we now are living in dark times. The Doomsday Clock stands nearer to midnight than ever before, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to learn