Final answer:
The Soviet Union under Stalin suffered massive losses in WWII but played a key role in defeating Germany and strategically established a communist bloc in Eastern Europe post-war.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin played a critical role in World War II, with a heavy focus on both military engagement and post-war political strategy. Stalin's leadership during the war was characterized by strategic military movements, intense industrialization, and significant human sacrifice. The Soviet Union suffered devastating losses, with over 25 million Soviets, both soldiers and civilians alike, dying in the war. In response to the German invasion, a massive effort was undertaken to move industrial facilities to the east of the Ural Mountains to avoid falling into enemy hands, a move that eventually helped restore and increase Soviet productive capacity.
Stalin's approach to post-war recovery involved the installation of communist governments in Eastern European nations, as the Soviet Union sought to create a buffer zone to prevent future invasions. However, the Soviets were also experiencing economic difficulties post-war and ended up seizing resources from these nations to support the Red Army. Meanwhile, Stalin's participation at international conferences such as the Yalta Conference in 1945 demonstrated his strategic interests in both defending Soviet territory and promoting communist ideology on a global scale.
Stalin's negotiations included securing Soviet interests in international affairs, such as the recognition of Mongolian independence and the control of significant territories in Eastern Europe. Ultimately, the Soviet Union's massive sacrifice in the war and Stalin's strategic maneuvers both during and after the war cemented its position as a superpower during the second half of the 20th century.