Leaders of the USSR

The most important force in the USSR was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). This was the descendent of the Bolsheviks, organized by Vladimir Lenin. The most powerful individual in the USSR was the general secretary of the CPSU. He was able to direct policy—for example, Khrushchev's programme of de-Stalinization and Gorbachev's perestroika. The head of state was mainly restricted to ceremonial duties, while the prime minister was the head of the government.