From the middle of the 1920s until he died in 1953, Joseph Stalin led the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

His tyrant system set up for serious international competition with the West. Following Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev arose, known for his approaches to de-Stalinization and for exploring the Cuban Rocket Emergency in 1962. Leonid Brezhnev succeeded Khrushchev, driving from 1964 to 1982, managing a time of military development and stagnation. The Cold War's overall dynamics and Soviet foreign policy were significantly influenced by these leaders.