In 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, after the death of Joseph Stalin. He reversed many of his predecessor's policies. As a matter of fact, his policy became known as the "destalinization" process. This period is known as "the thaw": the tensions between the USSR and the United States became more relaxed.

Khrushchev believed that the communist nations could live in peace with the democracies of the West and he intended to establish a peaceful coexistence. Moreover, he tried to modernize Russia and to give more freedom to its citizens. He eliminated show trials, replacing them with actual court systems, and he rid the USSR of purges. Khrushchev also allowed more freedom of speech and criticism of Stalin: at the XX Party Congress (in 1956), he announced that Stalin had made many mistakes during his reign.

Khrushchev tried to reform collectivized agriculture and to shake up the Communist Party, but the Party forced him out in 1964. His successor was Leonid Brezhnev (1964 - 1982).

The West regards Khrushchev as unpredictable, espacially because of his action during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).

F. M. (Tle ES 2)