Following nearly annihilating the world, our relatives have become friends’: the thrilling podcast featuring JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged closer toward ruin than at any other point during recent history. This occurred when an American surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet nuclear missile sites were being built in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, U.S. President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was almost two weeks filled with extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Threat

The danger was obvious. Should President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against their enemy, a series of global atomic strikes followed by counterstrikes might have followed, plunging civilization into all-out oblivion.

The Cuban missile crisis has been examined extensively, through volumes, movies, and television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" has brought an unprecedented perspective into the story. It is jointly hosted by Kennedy's relative and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, controlled the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What was the Soviet side thinking? What were the United States considering?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's great-granddaughter and a professor specializing in international affairs.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "Why do individuals detest each other to the point they go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that people have the potential to be allies or else can become complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries enter into conflict, and it just illustrates how unbelievably stupid involved to fight."

A Precipice Towards Catastrophe

What’s remarkable about this event was that, because it unfolded so publicly, citizens globally were able to observe almost in real time while it moved closer to catastrophe. However, the danger of annihilation came closer than anybody understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone in the White House wanted a military strike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, undoubtedly the Russians on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's primary fleet. In turn, we would have responded with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on Earth."

The fact it didn’t is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who succeeded in remain calm while calmly negotiate when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. As a result, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the missiles from the Caribbean island and President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) withdrew his similar weapons based in NATO ally Turkey. The relief was worldwide, as was the sense of optimism.

The Different Perspective

Still, for those 13 days in October, the tension was felt by everyone. The podcast's presenters came into the world in the years following the crisis, with Nina being taught about it through the Soviet school curriculum, which presented an alternative picture of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, people were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are constantly fine or sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, it was distinct. "I was informed that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, seen as a positive outcome," she adds. Subsequently, though, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably balanced , well produced that Khrushcheva jokes she nearly forgot the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to the participation of historians. But, really, the most significant thing is the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable that descendants of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of optimism.

"Max and I are not the first," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America where he formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"But we were strangers prior to this project," adds Kennedy. "That is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, after almost six decades of almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Contemporary Parallels with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why The Bomb seems so urgent is because we once again are living in a perilous era. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to comprehend