Was Russia Destined to Become a Superpower?

Now i know that industrialization occurred during the imperial period, along with other things that allowed the USSR to become the superpower it was.

My question is, even if Russia remained a monarchy would it still become a superpower?

Could a cold war scenario still occur only with the Russians as imperialist apposing the anti-imperialist US?
 

Nietzsche

Banned
Now i know that industrialization occurred during the imperial period, along with other things that allowed the USSR to become the superpower it was.

My question is, even if Russia remained a monarchy would it still become a superpower?

Could a cold war scenario still occur only with the Russians as imperialist apposing the anti-imperialist US?
Yes. Any state covering the areas Russia did, with a suitable population, is destined for super-powerdom. Stalin sped the process up.
 
Really? Military wise it wasn't (during WW1 at least), economically wise, it had problems.

Yes, it was. Germany tends to be counted a military great power despite not winning any wars outside of the continent of Africa since 1870, Russia gets counted as one despite losing only three modern wars: 1914 and 1920, and 1979. Having economic problems or stagnation certainly doesn't disqualify states, if that were so Britain ceased to be a Great Power around the period of Relative Decline.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Yes.

1/6 of the world land mass.

majority of area Russian or at least Eastern Slav.

Land Area contiguous.


It is like asking if a country occupying all of North America north of the Rio Grande is destined to be a super power. Or all of Latin America.
 
Russia is guaranteed Powerdom since the mid-17th c. latest, provided there's a single central government. Once it gained access to the seas, it's guaranteed to be a major world player. Arguably (because I've seen the same argued for Germany), as long as there's unifying tendencies among the East Slavs occupying *European Russia, it's very likely to find its way to prominence at some point, and that has been the case since Rus began.

Superpowerdom though, not guaranteed. Superpowers are a very specific category for a very specific setup.

And it doesn't mean it will match other areas in every respect. It will probably experience some development lag due to warlike neighbourhood, risky agriculture and vast space. The second serfdom also did a nasty number on its internal development, just like it did to all Eastern Europe. But in terms of having the potential to gather enough resource to invest in dominating various places, it has all the right ingridients in place.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Russia is guaranteed Powerdom since the mid-17th c. latest, provided there's a single central government. Once it gained access to the seas, it's guaranteed to be a major world player. Arguably (because I've seen the same argued for Germany), as long as there's unifying tendencies among the East Slavs occupying *European Russia, it's very likely to find its way to prominence at some point, and that has been the case since Rus began.

While it is only arguable for Germany, it would be a sure thing for Gross Germany. Handwavium, but either Prussia or Austria unite into one functional nation, and it would be a superpower. With the 70 million Germans of Germany added to the 12 million Germans of Austria-Hungary, most of the ethnic issue become manageable, and the combined Nation of 120 million would have a population similar to Russia and greatly out classing France. Add one other major power as an ally, and the Great Game becomes easy for the Germans to play.
 
Yes. Any state covering the areas Russia did, with a suitable population, is destined for super-powerdom. Stalin sped the process up.

Brazil and India both have large populations and cover a wide area. They are not Super Powers. I would say a certain level of technolgy and industrialization is also required. The USSR was destined to be a Great Power. Unless you feel WWII was inevitable and bound to play out more or less as it did I would say no to being a Super Power. Without the destruction of World War II they would never have had the opportunity to expand as they did.
 
It depends from what point you're talking about here. If you're talking about 1900 onwards (As where you posted this would suggest), then it was more than likely yes, given the vast, vast areas they controlled.

As for before that, when they first became a nation? No, not yet.
 

Nietzsche

Banned
Brazil and India both have large populations and cover a wide area. They are not Super Powers. I would say a certain level of technolgy and industrialization is also required. The USSR was destined to be a Great Power. Unless you feel WWII was inevitable and bound to play out more or less as it did I would say no to being a Super Power. Without the destruction of World War II they would never have had the opportunity to expand as they did.
I was not referring so much to the amount of land, the but the land it occupies. Russia is going to Super-powerdom simply because, well, it straddles most of the fucking world.

The bear might be a little backwards compared to its western neighbors, but woe to those that gain its ire.
 
Russia is guaranteed Powerdom since the mid-17th c. latest, provided there's a single central government. Once it gained access to the seas, it's guaranteed to be a major world player. Arguably (because I've seen the same argued for Germany).
well, germany was considered a military superpower because it was just a greater prussia, and prussia had pound for pound the strongest army on the planet after the 7 years war;
so obviously when it united with the other german countries and industrialized it was going to be a power to fuck with.

but to the point, canada has a large area but it isn't a superpower or even a great power.
 

Nietzsche

Banned
well, germany was considered a military superpower because it was just a greater prussia, and prussia had pound for pound the strongest army on the planet after the 7 years war;
so obviously when it united with the other german countries and industrialized it was going to be a power to fuck with.
This part has made me happy.

but to the point, canada has a large area but it isn't a superpower or even a great power.
This has not. Canada is very much a great power. It's the second most powerful state on either American continent. The problem is that its southern neighbor is the United fucking States. It never has to really deal with a problem because of that, and in conflicts of interest between the two respective states, Canada has always held firm her stance and alot of times wins.
 
This has not. Canada is very much a great power. It's the second most powerful state on either American continent. The problem is that its southern neighbor is the United fucking States. It never has to really deal with a problem because of that, and in conflicts of interest between the two respective states, Canada has always held firm her stance and alot of times wins.
i didn't mean to offend, an earlier post stated that russias size made it destined to be a superpower
i was merely saying canada is HUGE!!! and it is not a superpower.
maybe it is a great power, and if so im sorry
 
Canada is basically an independent Siberia but a little less cold. We also don't have many people. We do pretty good though.

Does that make the OTL Northeastern and Great Lakes states it's ATL European Russia? I'm down with that. :p
 
Does that make the OTL Northeastern and Great Lakes states it's ATL European Russia? I'm down with that. :p
More the Midwest and a little bit of southern Canada. The US East Coast is like giving Russia Northern Europe or something.
 
well, germany was considered a military superpower because it was just a greater prussia, and prussia had pound for pound the strongest army on the planet after the 7 years war;
so obviously when it united with the other german countries and industrialized it was going to be a power to fuck with.

but to the point, canada has a large area but it isn't a superpower or even a great power.

Which is a great exaggeration. Prussian history was an oscillation of success and disaster, and it tends to be forgotten Prussian survival in the 7YW was a factor of a Tsar succeeding a Tsarista and the Tsar's whim. Usually surviving due to the vagarities of hereditary succession of a neighboring autocracy is not most people's idea of military superpower.
 
Which is a great exaggeration. Prussian history was an oscillation of success and disaster, and it tends to be forgotten Prussian survival in the 7YW was a factor of a Tsar succeeding a Tsarista and the Tsar's whim. Usually surviving due to the vagarities of hereditary succession of a neighboring autocracy is not most people's idea of military superpower.
umm... were talking about prussia here;
no matter what you think they were some stone cold hard ass mother fuckin killing machines.

and they proved it again and again
 
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