Stalin’s efforts to advance Russia as justified by his mention of the “continual beatings” were vindicated by which of the following historical events?

(A) The Space Race with the United States (B) The Polish-Soviet War in the early 1920s (C) The Western intervention in the Russian Civil War (D) The German invasion of Russia in 1941Explanation: Stalin’s drive for Russia’s advancement may have come at a grave cost, but it definitely put the Soviets in a much better position to withstand full-scale war in World War II. Eliminate (A) because the Soviet Union ultimately gave up the Space Race after the United States landed men on the moon. Eliminate (B) and (C) because they took place earlier than Stalin’s speech. Choice (D) is therefore the best answer.