>With regards to the innovation question: considering that the soviets we're quite good at military and space innovations
Well, space industry was quite suboptimal in USSR. Successes were achieved because of 1) all resources were spent on space and military and 2) great legacy of Russian Empire (especially great minds like Korolev, Tsiolkovsky and Tupolev). So I see it more like stagnation than development.
Well, space industry was quite suboptimal in USSR. Successes were achieved because of 1) all resources were spent on space and military and 2) great legacy of Russian Empire (especially great minds like Korolev, Tsiolkovsky and Tupolev). So I see it more like stagnation than development.