Who led the USSR as First Secretary from 1953 to 1964, initiated de-Stalinization, oversaw the thaw, and guided the USSR through Sputnik and the Cuban Missile Crisis before retirement in 1964?

• A. Nikita Khrushchev
• B. Joseph Stalin
• C. Leonid Brezhnev
• D. Mikhail Gorbachev

Answer: (A)

Nikita Khrushchev’s leadership combined reform at home with bold moves abroad. After Stalin’s death, he became First Secretary in 1953 and launched de-Stalinization, openly criticizing the cult of personality and easing some political repression, which helped spark the thaw in Soviet society. He also presided over major Cold War milestones: the launch of Sputnik in 1957 showcased Soviet technological prowess, changing global perceptions of Soviet power. In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Khrushchev steered the USSR through a dangerous nuclear standoff and helped reach a resolution that avoided war. His tenure ended with his removal in 1964, giving way to Brezhnev. The other leaders didn’t fit because Stalin’s era ended in 1953 and he didn’t oversee Sputnik or the thaw, while Brezhnev and Gorbachev led later years.