After the war, Gorshkov became Black Sea Fleet chief of staff, fleet commander, and then a full admiral as the formation's standing and readiness improved. Khrushchev's trust helped carry him from first deputy commander-in-chief to commander-in-chief and deputy defence minister in 1956. He then oversaw force selection, naval strategy, nuclear propulsion, nuclear weapons, and the creation of distant operational squadrons. Long cruises placed Soviet forces in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans instead of confining the navy to coastal defence. The buildup established the global blue-water reach most closely associated with his tenure.
Chapter · 25:40-28:13
From Black Sea command to a blue-water navy
As commander-in-chief, Gorshkov oversaw nuclear propulsion, nuclear weapons, distant operational squadrons, and the Soviet transition to global naval reach.