I read that almost for the entire 1950s, the world’s entire space program was only captured German V-2 rockets for all sides. Heard that Spudnik was launched from a 2 stage V-2 rocket.
"Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (23 March 1912 – 16 June 1977) was a German-American aerospace engineer[3] and space architect. He was the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany and a pioneer of rocket and space technology in the United States.[4] "