Following almost destroying the planet, the families have become friends’: a gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to destruction more so than ever during modern times. This transpired after a US reconnaissance plane discovered that Russian nuclear missile installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of the US mainland. Reacting to this, President JFK directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a maritime blockade encircling Cuba. The ensuing period was nearly two weeks of impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against their enemy, a series of worldwide nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, casting civilization toward all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought a completely new dimension to this historical narrative. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, relatives of the men that, for two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Russians thinking? What were the United States planning?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast is its endeavor to question: "Why do people detest one another to the point they go against one another?"

"It struck me how profound it is that humans can be allies or can become total adversaries," states Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, related to JFK and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s striking about this event is that, since it unfolded so publicly, citizens worldwide were able to observe almost in real time as it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck Cuba using the naval blockade, there is no question the Russians on the ground would've fired a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed America's largest and most important fleet. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation which would have ended most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in remain calm and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors in their governments were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in Cuba while Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed his missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, as was a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Still, during those two weeks of October 1962, the fear was palpable globally. The Bomb’s presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary time," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware a great deal regarding the crisis, because it was a crisis, and under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine and positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant moment for the USSR, because it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be held by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unlikely Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known the ending. This effect is, in part, due to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most groundbreaking thing is the participation of the descendants. Even within living memory, it would be unthinkable for relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR would appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and be so warm toward one another, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," notes Khrushcheva. "Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," adds Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and now we’re friends, which is wonderful. Ultimately, after nearly 60 years since almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, so I think global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason why The Bomb feels so necessary is because we now are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to catastrophe in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to comprehend