Who was the Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis was Nikita Khrushchev. He held power from 1953 until 1964 and was a key figure in the Cold War era, known for his role in the escalation of tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in October 1962 when the U.S. discovered Soviet missile installations in Cuba, leading to a 13-day confrontation that brought the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. Khrushchev’s decision to place missiles in Cuba was a significant factor in the crisis, as it was intended to strengthen the Soviet position in the Cold War and counter U.S. missiles in Turkey.

The other leaders mentioned were not in power during this critical time. Gorbachev came to power later, in the mid-1980s, after the period of the Cold War had significantly shifted. Lenin was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1917 until his death in 1924, long before the crisis. Stalin, who led the USSR from the late 1920s until his death in 1953, was also not in power during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Thus, Khrushchev is the correct choice as he