Final answer:
The leaders of the Soviet Union during the Cold War in chronological order are: Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Konstantin Chernenko, and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Step-by-step explanation:
The leaders of the Soviet Union during the Cold War in chronological order are:
- Joseph Stalin (1922-1953)
- Nikita Khrushchev (1953-1964)
- Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982)
- Yuri Andropov (1982-1984)
- Konstantin Chernenko (1984-1985)
- Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991)
Joseph Stalin came to power in 1922 after the death of Vladimir Lenin. He ruled with an iron fist and implemented policies like rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture, which transformed the Soviet Union into a major global power. Nikita Khrushchev succeeded Stalin and his leadership was marked by a period of thaw in the Cold War tensions. Leonid Brezhnev followed Khrushchev and his tenure saw a return to stricter control and Soviet interventions in other countries. Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko had short tenures, and finally, Mikhail Gorbachev initiated reforms that eventually led to the demise of the Soviet Union.