[huhtenberg]

Yep, your understanding of Soviet space history is pretty limited. That part you got right.

[alive-or-not]

Care to correct me than?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-1_%28missile%29

R-1 was the Russian name for the German V-2, Sputnik was launched by R-7.

[oddx]

V-2 is progenitor of all modern rockets, but it's difficult to call it "minimal modifications": compare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fus%C3%A9e_V2.jpg ,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:V-2_rocket_diagram_%28with... and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:R-7_%287A%29_misil.svg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sputnik_8K71PS_grey.svg

[jiggy2011]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1