Following almost annihilating the world, our families are allies’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev’s descendants.

During October 1962, humanity veered nearer toward destruction more so than ever in modern times. This occurred after a US surveillance plane found that Soviet nuclear weapon sites were being built on Cuba, less than 160 kilometers off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President John F Kennedy commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The ensuing period constituted nearly 14 days filled with impossible stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger was obvious. Should Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack on the other side, a cascade involving worldwide atomic attacks and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

The October crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel dimension to this historical narrative. The series is co-presented by Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the men that, over two tense weeks, grasped the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What was the Kremlin thinking? What was Washington planning?" questions Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show is its endeavor to explore: "Why do nations detest one another to the point they confront one another?"

"It struck me how profound the fact that humans have the potential to be friends or can become complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently a writer as well as attorney. "We see this over and over when countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s notable regarding this event is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch nearly as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. Even so, the risk of destruction came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, there is no question the Russians on the ground would have deployed a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would've obliterated our naval vessels and destroyed our largest and most important naval force. And, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in exercise restraint while calmly negotiate at a time when many advisors in their governments was pushing for action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from Cuba and President Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) removed American similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the anxiety was felt globally. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, and Khrushcheva being taught about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which presented a slightly different picture of events.

"You said your father remembers it, and it was a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "However for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know that much regarding the crisis, because it was a tense situation, and under the Soviet system the official line was that everything was always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, because it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to resolve it, thus avoided the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. Later on, though, that interpretation would not be held by everybody. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a setback for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is so balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known outcome. This effect is, partly, due to the participation of historians. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing remains the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the leaders of America and the USSR to appear together publicly. The fact that these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Max. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and we are friends, something that is wonderful. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our lineages are now friends, so I think global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is because we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe than ever before, partly since today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to grasp