Following nearly destroying the world, the relatives have become allies’: the gripping audio series from JFK and Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to annihilation more so than ever in the contemporary era. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance plane found the fact that Russian atomic weapon installations were being assembled on the island of Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from the United States. In response, President JFK commanded a naval task force to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. What followed constituted almost a fortnight of extreme stress.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril remained palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, initiated an attack against their enemy, a series involving global atomic attacks followed by retaliatory strikes could have followed, thrusting mankind toward all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined repeatedly, through books, films, as well as TV documentaries. However, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast titled "The Bomb" introduces a completely new dimension into the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Kennedy's relative and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the figures that, over 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What was the American side planning?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also a professor of global relations.

In her view, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "Why do nations hate one another to the point they oppose each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound the fact that people can be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of Robert Kennedy, related to the late president and now an author as well as lawyer. "History shows this repeatedly when nations have gone to war, highlighting the sheer folly involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What’s remarkable regarding this event is that, because it unfolded so publicly, people globally could watch almost as it happened as it edged towards armageddon. Even so, the danger of destruction was more imminent than anybody understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by a ground invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain the Russians on the ground would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, which would have obliterated the naval vessels as well as destroyed America's primary fleet. And, the U.S. would have responded through massive retaliation that would have ended all life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur stands as credit to both leaders, they succeeded in keep their heads while engaging in diplomacy when many advisors in their governments was pushing for military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from Turkey. The relief was palpable, matched by the sense of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

Still, during those two weeks in October, the tension was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, and Nina learned about it through the USSR's school curriculum, which presented a slightly different narrative of events.

"As you mentioned your parent recalls it, and it was a frightening time," she says. "But for Soviet citizens, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a crisis, whereas under the Soviet system we were told that things are always fine or positive."

Inside Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to resolve it, and didn’t start the war, which was a positive outcome," she adds. In the years to come, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a defeat for Khrushchev, because he didn’t blow up America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed , well produced that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, really, the most groundbreaking aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it was unthinkable that relatives of the heads of state of America and USSR to appear together publicly. That these two individuals can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of progress.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle moved to America where he became great friends with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is unfortunate because we got along really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now allies, so I think the world is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of why The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to catastrophe than ever before, in part because world leaders don’t seem to have the capacity to comprehend