‘After almost destroying the world, the families have become allies’: a gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s descendants.

In October 1962, humanity edged nearer toward destruction than at any other point during recent history. This transpired after an American surveillance plane identified the fact that Soviet atomic weapon installations were being assembled in Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of American soil. In response, U.S. President John F Kennedy directed the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade around the island. The next phase constituted nearly 14 days filled with extreme stress.

An Unthinkable Danger

The danger remained obvious. If Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, initiated an attack on their enemy, a series involving global nuclear strikes and counterstrikes might have ensued, plunging humanity toward total destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been covered extensively, in volumes, films, as well as TV documentaries. But, for its third season, the BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel dimension into the story. The series is co-presented by Kennedy's relative alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men who, over two tense weeks, grasped the fate of the world in their hands.

"What was the Kremlin planning? What were the American side planning?" asks Nina Khrushcheva, the Soviet leader's descendant who is also an academic specializing in global relations.

For her, the strength of the podcast lies in its attempt to question: "How can people hate each other to the point they oppose one another?"

"It was not lost on me how spectacular it is that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, nephew of JFK and currently a writer and attorney. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly when countries enter into conflict, highlighting how unbelievably stupid involved to engage in warfare."

A Brink Towards Disaster

What’s striking about this event is that, because it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe almost as it happened while it edged closer to catastrophe. However, the threat of annihilation came closer than most people realised.

"Virtually everyone among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for a military strike followed by a ground invasion," says Max Kennedy. "If we had struck the Cubans with the naval blockade, it is certain Soviet forces on the ground would've launched a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would have obliterated our naval vessels as well as sunk America's largest and most important fleet. And, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack that would have ended all life on Earth."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm and calmly negotiate when everyone around them demanded action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba and Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed his missiles from Turkey. The sense of relief was immense, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Different Viewpoint

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

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "However in the Soviet Union, the public really didn’t know that much about it, since it was a crisis, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that everything was always fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, the perspective was different. "I was informed what a great occasion for the USSR, as it represented a direct confrontation. They were able to find a solution, thus didn’t start the war, which was a wonderful thing," she continues. In the years to come, though, that view was not held by everybody. "For decades in Russian politics, the crisis was viewed as a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unlikely Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably balanced , expertly crafted that Khrushcheva quips it almost made her forget the known outcome. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from renowned scholars. But, truly, the most groundbreaking thing is the involvement of the descendants. Even within living memory, it was inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva are able to do so, and be so warm with each other, must be seen as a sign of hope.

"Max and I aren't the first," notes Nina. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and became great friends with the former president's family."

"But we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "Which is a shame because we connected really well and we are friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly six decades of almost destroying the world, our families are now friends, suggesting global relations is safer, somewhat."

Contemporary Echoes with Current Dangers

Or is it? One reason why this series seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves living through dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to have the capacity to learn