Following almost destroying the world, our relatives have become allies’: the gripping podcast featuring John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, the planet edged nearer toward ruin than at any other point in modern times. This occurred after a US reconnaissance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic weapon bases were under construction in Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK directed a naval task force to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. What followed was almost 14 days filled with extreme tension.

An Unthinkable Threat

The peril remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired on their enemy, a cascade involving global atomic strikes and retaliatory strikes could have ensued, plunging humanity into all-out ruination.

This pivotal 1962 event has been documented endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, in its latest installment, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" presents a novel element into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, relatives of the leaders who, over 13 days, grasped the destiny of the world in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin planning? What was Washington thinking?" asks Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant and a professor of global relations.

For her, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals detest each other and oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that humans can be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when countries have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

The Precipice of Disaster

What is notable regarding this event is that, since it transpired so publicly, individuals around the world could watch almost in real time as it crept towards disaster. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would have deployed a tactical nuclear weapon against the American ships, and that would've destroyed our naval vessels as well as destroyed our primary naval force. In turn, the U.S. would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have ended most life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to both leaders, who succeeded in keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy when everyone in their governments were advocating action. As a result, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons from the Caribbean island and Kennedy (a fact not publicly disclosed at the time) withdrew his similar weapons from Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those 13 days in October, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's presenters were born shortly after the crisis, and Khrushcheva being taught about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented an alternative narrative of what happened.

"You said your father recalls it, describing it as a frightening time," Khrushcheva notes. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, since it was a tense situation, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that everything was always fine or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, however, the perspective was distinct. "I was informed what a great moment it was, because it was a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, and avoided a global war, seen as a positive thing," she continues. Later on, however, that view was not shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying the United States."

A Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced and well produced so much so that Nina quips she nearly forgot the known outcome. This is, partly, thanks to the participation of historians. Yet, truly, the most significant aspect remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be inconceivable for descendants of the heads of state of America and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we were strangers before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we got along immediately and now we are friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following almost six decades since nearly annihilating the planet, our families have become allies, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Current Perils

Or is it? One reason why this series feels so necessary is because we now are living living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since world leaders appear not to have the capacity to grasp