After Stalin's death in 1953 the USSR embarked on a policy of liberalization or "Khrushchev's thaw", during the leadership of Nikita Khrushchev. While retaining a militaristic policy towards Western Europe and NATO. Throughout the 1970's the Soviet Union experienced a short oil boom which positively effected growth. However, excessive spending on defence was withering the Soviet economy causing food shortages and lack of expenditure on key sectors.