Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was a Soviet politician who led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War as the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and as chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. Nikita Khrushchev Chapter 1: Short History of Nikita Khrushchev Chapter 2: Party official 2.1 Kaganovich protégé 2.2 Involvement in purges Chapter 3: World War II 3.1 War against Germany Chapter 4: Rise to power 4.1 Stalin's final years 4.2 Struggle for control Chapter 5: Leader (1953–1964) 5.1 Liberalization and the arts 5.2 Political reform 5.3 Agricultural policy 5.4 Education 5.5 Anti-religious campaign 5.6 Foreign and defense policies 5.7 United States and allies 5.8 U-2 and Berlin crisis (1960–1961) 5.9 Cuban Missile Crisis and the test ban treaty (1962–1964) 5.10 Eastern Europe 5.11 China Chapter 6: Removal Chapter 7: Life in retirement Chapter 8: Death 8.1 Legacy Chapter 9: History of the Soviet Union (1953–1964) 9.1 Reforms and Khrushchev's fall