Why were the United States and the Soviet Union once called superpowers?

The United States and the Soviet Union were both called superpowers from approximately 1945-1990. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were the two strongest and most powerful countries in the world. Both countries had strong militaries. Both countries had a massive arsenal of nuclear weapons. Both countries were fierce competitors.  The collapse of the Soviet Union around 1990 ended this competition between the two superpowers.

Both countries were leaders of...

The United States and the Soviet Union were both called superpowers from approximately 1945-1990. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were the two strongest and most powerful countries in the world. Both countries had strong militaries. Both countries had a massive arsenal of nuclear weapons. Both countries were fierce competitors.  The collapse of the Soviet Union around 1990 ended this competition between the two superpowers.

Both countries were leaders of their respective worlds. The United States was the leader of the free world. The Soviet Union was the leader of the communist world. The United States and the Soviet Union competed for leadership in the space race. The Soviet Union got the first satellite into space while the United States was the first to land an astronaut on the moon. The United States tried to prevent the spread of communism while the Soviet Union tried to spread it. Both countries competed against each in the Olympic games, with each trying to outdo the others. Very little happened in the world that wasn’t influenced by the United States or by the Soviet Union. These two countries were the leading countries in the world. Both were very powerful, which led to each country being called a superpower.