Which Soviet leader briefly led the Council of Ministers and party secretary, and was removed after a failed coup in 1957?

• A. Nikolai Bulganin
• B. Georgi Malenkov
• C. Vyacheslav Molotov
• D. Nikita Khrushchev

Answer: (B)

This item tests understanding of who briefly held both the top government post and a leading party position during the turbulent post-Stalin power struggle, and what happened to that leadership after the 1957 events.

Georgi Malenkov fits this description. After Stalin’s death, he became Premier, heading the Council of Ministers, and he wielded substantial influence in the ruling circles of the Communist Party. In 1957, a group including Malenkov attempted to remove Khrushchev from power in a failed coup. Although the attempt failed, it marked the end of Malenkov’s influence and led to Khrushchev consolidating control, with Malenkov sidelined from top leadership.