Soviet Union

 is one of several nations in Steel Division II.

Historical background
Established in 1917 after the November Revolution and the fall of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union was one of the most polarizing and contrasting states in history. Torn apart by civil war and besieged by foreign interventions at the outset, the Union seemed doomed to fail, yet it survived, becoming one of the biggest global players of the 20th century. Once an impotent agrarian state, it became an industrial powerhouse within two decades. Committed to socialist and communist ideals, it seemed a beacon of progress that elevated millions out of crushing poverty, providing them with education, welfare, and a chance at a better future. Yet it committed atrocities in the name of these same ideals, on people within and without, much like the capitalist states it opposed.

Warped into an autocracy by Joseph Stalin and decimated by the Red Terror and purges instituted by him to solidify his power, the Soviet Union became a pivotal player and one of the catalysts for World War II. Unexpectedly to all, especially after the proxy war in Spain that ended with a fascist victory, the Soviet Union allied with Hitler in 1939, jointly invading and partitioning Poland, then moving to annex the Baltic States and attempting to subjugate Finland. The Soviet Union passively watched as Hitler conquered the Low Countries, France, and the Balkans, expanding its own military across the board. Then, on June 22, 1941, the alliances shifted dramatically as Hitler moved on his erstwhile ally, to seize resources for continuing the war and eventually confronting the United States.

What he thought would be a quick campaign of conquest was the opening act of the single largest military conflict in history, which accounted for some 40% of the total death toll of World War II (1939-1945), and featured its greatest atrocities, committed by all sides of the conflict. Though it suffered greatly in the first two years of the war, taking losses counted in the millions, the battered Union fought on. The only alternative was total physical destruction at the hands of the Nazis. It was here that the Nazi empire was broken, at the gates of Moscow, on the shores of Volga at Stalingrad, on the plains of Kursk... Four grueling years of war, starting with defeats and ending with total victories in Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and eventually Berlin itself. Though it was victorious, the long years left the region devastated, its populations scattered, and history forever altered.

The Soviet Union was aided by the very capitalist countries it was formally opposed to, provided with weapons, food, raw resources, and infrastructural components by the United States and the United Kingdom, among others. After the War, the alliance of necessity would unravel, ushering in the definitive ideological struggle of the 20th century: The Cold War.

Steel Division II divisions

 * (A, Armored)
 * (A, Armored)
 * (B, Motorized)
 * (A, Armored)
 * (B, Armored)
 * (B, Motorized)
 * (B, Infantry)
 * (A, Infantry)
 * (C, Infantry)
 * (C, infantry)
 * Fate of Finland

Recon
Steel Division II Soviet Recon units, 3

Infantry
Steel Division II Soviet Infantry units, 3

Tank
Steel Division II Soviet Tank units, 3

Support
Steel Division II Soviet Support units, 3

Anti-tank
Steel Division II Soviet Anti-tank units, 3

Anti-air
Steel Division II Soviet Anti-air units, 3

Artillery
Steel Division II Soviet Artillery units, 3

Air
Steel Division II Soviet Air units, 3