Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the late Cold War?

Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union during the late Cold War, serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Gorbachev is known for his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), which aimed to reform the political and economic system of the USSR. His leadership marked a significant shift in Soviet policies and ultimately played a pivotal role in reducing tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States, contributing to the end of the Cold War. Gorbachev's initiatives not only sought to improve the Soviet economy and governance but also led to increased freedom of expression, greater transparency in government, and the eventual emergence of multiple independent states as the Soviet Union fragmented.

In contrast, the other leaders mentioned held power either before or during earlier Cold War periods. Joseph Stalin, for instance, led the Soviet Union from the 1920s until his death in 1953 and is associated with the early Cold War's aggressive stance against the West. Leonid Brezhnev presided over a period that was characterized by a more conservative and stagnant approach in the 1960s and 1970s, while