Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies
2 total works
This book is about the impact of war on the Soviet system of economic planning and management between 1938 and 1945. What was the dynamic of change in the prewar Soviet economic system? How well was the Soviet economy prepared for war? What kind of war followed the German invasion of 1941, and what costs did it inflict on the Soviet Union? How did the Soviet economy measure up to wartime requirements, and what changes in economic organisation resulted? What lessons were laid down for the postwar Soviet approach to both peaceful and warlike tasks?
In this book Mark Harrison rebuilds and analyses the Soviet economy's wartime statistical record, examining its prewar size and composition, and wartime changes in GNP, employment, the defence burden, and the role of foreign aid. Complementing classic long-run growth studies, the book compares the Soviet experience with that of other great powers. It emphasises the severity of current costs and capital losses arising from the war, which had a negative effect on GNP that persisted well after the end of the war. The results are based on a comprehensive analysis of hitherto closed official documents, shedding light on the dimensions of the Soviet war effort, the comparative economics of the war, and its long-term impact on the Soviet economy.