Nikita Khrushchev
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| Name of Office: | First/General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party |
| Term of Office: | 1953-1964 |
| Came After: | Josef Stalin |
| Followed By: | Leonid Brezhnev |
| Date of Birth: | |
| Place of Birth: | |
| Date of Death: | |
| Place of Death: | |
| Nationality: | Russian |
| Profession: | Political Officer, Politician |
| Political party: | Communist Party of the USSR |
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchyov 
listen (info • help) (Russian: Ники́та Серге́евич Хрущёв) IPA: [xruˈɕːʲof], commonly spelled in English as Khrushchev) April 17, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. He ruled from 1953-1964.
Nikita was born in the town of Kalinovka in Russia. He later moved to Ukraine. He worked in mines, and became part of the Bolshevik movement.
He moved his way up in the Communist Party, eventually becoming trusted by President Joseph Stalin. When Stalin died, Khrushchev became the leader of the Soviet Union.
[change] "De-Stalinization"
When Nikita became the leader of the Soviet Union, he began something he called "De-Stalinization". He took down all posters and statues of Joseph Stalin. Also, he moved Stalin's grave to a place where people could not see it. This was all a part of an effort to make the people of the Soviet Union forget about Stalin.
[change] Relations with the "West"
He also had better contacts with the western countries like the USA, Britain, and France. This means the USSR and the west were more friendly. He visited America in 1959.
But the USSR and the US still did not trust each other. In 1962 America and the USSR had problems over missiles being in Cuba (near the US), and could have had a war. Khrushchev took the missiles away from Cuba and this problem was ended.
[change] Relations with China
Also, during this time, the Soviet Union became a lot less friendly with China. Because the Chinese leader Mao Zedong liked Stalin, and did not like it when Khrushchev became more friendly with the west, and when Nikita Khrushchev began a "destalinization" campaign. That's when Mao started the Sino-Soviet Split
| Came after: Josef Stalin |
General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party 1953–1964 |
Came before: Leonid Brezhnev |
