Was/ Is Russia a 2nd Super Power Ever?

[Anonymous]

I am asking because its been more than 2 Months and a Country like Russia who once had a Tag of Super Power could not conquer a weak country like Ukraine 🤐

Same Goes with USA, they could not do any better in Afghanistan in 20 Years and Just think if you take All the Nukes of USA and Russia then they both country are like a tiger without Teeth.... Do you think Russia & USA are Really Military Super Power?

I believe Indian and Chinese Army are more capable then Russian Army
🔔

[BCA6010]

In a numbers game on paper, they have been a major military power for well over a century. Two major fundamental factors severely cripple them, and are being seen in real time: The Soviet and post-soviet governments regularly purge their military leadership and rely on conscripts over professionals and volunteers in an effort to keep the military from becoming powerful, influential, or cohesive enough to overthrow the government. This was the norm even during the desperate hours of world war 2, as Russia seemingly went out of its way to martyr and/or sideline their own heroes so that the collective state could claim credit for even small successes. The other major problem lies with the economy: despite historically having one of or the largest militaries in the world, the Russian economy at its peak is roughly equal to that of Italy; barely and often not even in the top 10. Anyone who has ever studied a history of warfare knows that the inability to adequately supply and pay for a military severely cripples what they're able to achieve even in otherwise optimal circumstances. Russia has, at least on paper developed a lot of cutting edge war fighting technology in the last 20 years, but the reality is that they can't afford to actually deliver. They have tens of thousands of tanks and armored vehicles, but only a couple hundred of them are actually their newest models (about 90%+ are holdovers from the early 1970s), and as it turns out, they're only marginally better than what they replaced anyway.

Poor and inexperienced leadership, no support, a disproportionately weak economy, and outdated equipment and doctrine that has been basically left unchanged since WW2 results in even a backwater second rate nation with its back to a wall like Ukraine able to fend off even a comically lopsided threat that "experts" believed would crush them within a couple weeks.

Now China has a lot of similar problems but with different root causes. The reality is that their economy is nowhere near as strong as people think it is, their military is plagued with a lot of the same problems with the only noteworthy exception being that morale is generally higher and more zealously loyal. Despite this, they are still a far more dangerous actor on the world stage under a stronger political faction compared to Putin's Russia, and they have their hands in almost everyone else's pockets with the will to play the long game.

[Asker]

Nice Answer

[BeMuse]

You're delusional. Russia kicked the crap out of Ukraine. Everything worth taking has been taken. The only resistance that exists are garrisoned inside a small set of cities. They are hungry, thirsty, low on ammo, and reinforcing their ranks with kids as meat shields as they use their own citizens for human shields. Average Ukrainians are so pissed off, that the mothers and wives of the new recruits are rioting and destroying army recruiting centers. Russia's war goals were never conquest and annexation of Ukraine. They clearly stated they wanted a neutral Ukraine and they wanted to remove the Nazis from power. By decimating the Ukrainian military, and specifically Nazi groups like Azov Battalion, Russia has been highly successful at achieving their war goals thus far. They aren't in Ukraine to genocide the entire civilian population and destroy all the infrastructure so they are utilizing siege warfare to break the enemy even though it takes more time and costs more money... At the end of the day, Ukraine had a good trade relationship with them and many people that are culturally Russian live in Ukraine.

The Same goes for the USA in Afghanistan. That was never a war of conquest intended for annexation. That was a policing mission with the aim of disrupting, dismantling, and defeating Al Qaeda. The goal was to sit in country for decades and break the network. Afghanistan lost 241K people. Those are some pretty steep loses to their network.

[BeMuse]

Just to clarify so that you can wrap your little mind around it... A generation is 15-20 years. In order to change the culture of a country, you must educate and influence a population for at least one generation. That is why America stayed in country for that long. It shifted the Overton window to look less favorably on Al Qaeda...

[CandiceK]

I don't agree with the wars the US has been in, but we took Baghdad in ONE day.

It was called Shock and Awe.

Stormin' Norman lit that place on fire. Again, I'm not pro war, and I'm against it. But Putin is about to get his ass handed to him

[penteractgaming]

The USSR was but Russia is a pathetic shadow compared to then. And Ukraine isn't weak, there are 40 million people there. Itd be like if Iraq and Afghanistan had a functioning government, solidarity, outside support and an army that was invested. Even if Russia were in top shape, it wouldn't be easy to take Ukraine down.

[Asker]

@penteractgaming but what if Russia could not win Ukraine?

[penteractgaming]

Their economy, military and global standing is already ruined and itll get much worse. Theyll either smash themselves against the rocks taking Ukraine or holding it even if they do overwhelm in the short term. I dont envy Russians that didn't get out tbh.

[Cubus]

Russia (then Soviet Union) used to be 2nd Super Power during Cold War.

And who will be the next superpower? In short term I would say China, but in long term they look bad, because of their demographical situation (very low birth rate and aging society - so less people in production age, and less army manpower). The same is in Japan. In long term I would say India.

[DarkWinterNights]

I think the situation on the ground is a lot different than we’re being told. But most standing armies have not faced off against a comparable rival for decades… you could argue since even WW2. It doesn’t help Russia that the entire Western World is basically waging a proxy war against them in Ukraine by funding them with the most advanced weapons and intelligence.


All that aside, Russia still has more nuclear weapons that could vaporize the entire planet x5 over.

[Guardian45]

China is already a SuperPower! India is coming eventually. Russia is toast; its only a matter of time.

[Asker]

@guardian45 Russia is a Toast? do you know how many Nuclear weapons Russia have? Putin can doom all the WORLD in just 2 hours !!!

[Guardian45]

Yup, that's the problem with loose nukes!

[Asker]

@guardian45 you know India is only country who is friend with Russia and USA both but Now Since Russian Soldiers are raping and killing women's in Ukraine so Now India will have to take a stand !

[Guardian45]

I think India will switch from Russian weapons to Chinese. Possibly American.

[OddBeMe]

Look at it this way, the Nazis just slaughtered everyone and wouldn’t have issues like this.

[AᴅɪᴛʏᴀBᴏʟᴛ]

Indian becomes the second power , but Russia have much amount of weapons then any off other countries.