* Khrushchev denounced Stalin's cult of personality and initiated a process of de-Stalinization. This involved removing Stalin's statues and images from public places, renaming streets and cities that had been named after him, and releasing political prisoners who had been arrested during Stalin's purges.
* Khrushchev also criticized Stalin's economic policies and introduced a number of reforms, including
> * The decentralization of economic decision-making
> * The expansion of private enterprise
> * The introduction of new agricultural policies, such as the "Virgin Lands Campaign."
Foreign Policy
* Khrushchev pursued a more conciliatory foreign policy than Stalin. He met with Western leaders at a number of summit meetings, and he agreed to a number of arms control treaties.
* However, Khrushchev also engaged in a number of confrontations with the West, including
> * The Berlin Crisis of 1961
> * The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
Overall, Khrushchev was a very different leader than Stalin. He was more open to change and reform, and he was more willing to compromise with the West. He was also more unpredictable, and he sometimes made decisions that were not in the best interests of the Soviet Union.