Which of the following describes the political history of the Soviet union after Stalin‘s death?
- After Stalin's death in 1953, there was a power struggle within the Soviet leadership, with Nikita Khrushchev eventually emerging as the leader.
- Khrushchev implemented a policy of de-Stalinization, denouncing Stalin's rule and implementing reforms to distance the Soviet Union from Stalinist policies.
- Khrushchev's leadership was marked by a thaw in the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the construction of the Berlin Wall.
- In 1964, Khrushchev was ousted in a coup led by Leonid Brezhnev and other high-ranking officials, marking a return to more conservative policies.
- The Brezhnev era was characterized by increased political repression, stagnation of the economy, and the invasion of Afghanistan.
- After Brezhnev's death in 1982, a series of short-lived leaders came to power before Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary in 1985 and introduced reforms that eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.