Why did Russia become a superpower following WWII?

Economic superpower

• Russia had a powerful economy, along with America
• Stalin deliberately created an economy that was geared towards war in anticipation of military conflict with the West

The Fourth Five-Year Plan

• The priority of the Fourth Five-Year Plan was heavy industry
• The military was to be reconstructed due to the threat posed by the USA and its allies
• Soviet planners allocated 7.4 billion roubles for defence spending in the first year of the new Plan, compared with 5.7 billion roubles in 1940

…