who was the leader of the ussr in 1948?
Joseph Stalin
contradiction
 In 1952 , Stalin repeatedly proposed a plan to unify East and West Germany under a single government chosen in elections supervised by the United Nations if the new Germany were to stay out of Western military alliances , but this proposal was turned down by the Western powers . Some sources dispute the sincerity of the proposal . 

contradiction
 In February 1962 , Khrushchev learned of the American plans regarding Cuba : a " Cuban project " — approved by the CIA and stipulating the overthrow of the Cuban government in October , possibly involving the American military — and yet one more Kennedy @-@ ordered operation to assassinate Castro . Preparations to install Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba were undertaken in response . 

contradiction
 On March 6 , 1953 , Stalin 's death was announced , as was the new leadership . Malenkov was the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers , with Beria ( who consolidated his hold over the security agencies ) , Kaganovich , Bulganin , and former Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov as first vice @-@ chairmen . Those members of the Presidium of the Central Committee who had been recently promoted by Stalin were demoted . Khrushchev was relieved of his duties as Party head for Moscow to concentrate on unspecified duties in the Party 's Central Committee . The New York Times listed Malenkov and Beria first and second among the ten @-@ man Presidium — and Khrushchev last . 

contradiction
 While Stalin 's death in 1953 slightly relaxed tensions , the situation in Europe remained an uneasy armed truce . The Soviets , who had already created a network of mutual assistance treaties in the Eastern Bloc by 1949 , established a formal alliance therein , the Warsaw Pact , in 1955 . 

contradiction
 Stalin died in 1953 , which was followed by a partial thaw in Poland . Nikita Khrushchev became first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union . The PZPR 's Second Congress deliberated in March 1954 . Cyrankiewicz , previously replaced by Bierut , was returned to the post of prime minister ( to remain in this capacity until December 1970 ) . The Six @-@ Year Plan was adjusted to increase production of items for popular consumption . Khrushchev , present at the Congress , asked Bierut for the reasons of the continuing detention of Gomułka , " a good communist " ; Bierut denied having specific knowledge of Gomułka 's imprisonment . 
