NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV
Nikita Khrushchev became the Soviet Union's new leader after Stalin had died. He was in office from September 1953 to October 1964. Khrushchev denounced Stalin's abuse of power and pursued de-Stalinization. He also freed political prisoners and eased censorship. Although, he had provoked the Cuban Missile Crisis, crushed Hungarian revolts in 1956, and oversaw the building of the Berlin Wall.