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Before WWII, Stalin initiated the Five-Year Plans, which made the Soviet Union more economically independent by increasing industrial production. The Five Year Plans also prepared the USSR for future wars through munitions production.

During WWII, Stalin was surprised when Hitler began Operation Barbarossa (attack on USSR). Even though he was taken by surprise, Stalin was able to push the Germans back for a few reasons. One, as the Germans advanced into Russia, the USSR troops began destroying potential resources that the incoming Germans. Two, the Germans did not prepare for the Russian winter. Three, the harsh winter caused weapons to malfunction. Four, Hitler made strategically bad moves; instead of attacking Leningrad, Hitler should have focused his forces on Moscow.

After WWII, the USSR was the most powerful land force, while the US was the most powerful air force. France and Britain became second-rate powers in the face of the US and USSR, which partially explains the origins of the Cold War.

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14y ago

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