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The Military Origins of Soviet Industrialization

Author

Listed:
  • Vladimir Kontorovich

    (Economics Haverford College)

Abstract

The predominant account of Soviet industrialization in Western literature is that it aimed at accelerating economic growth by concentrating investment in heavy industry, a strategy credited to Preobrazhenskii and Feldman. Using evidence from the Soviet sources, this article proposes an alternative origin of the strategy of industrialization and suggests different motives for the policy. It finds no support for Preobrazhenskii’s and Feldman’s authorship. Similar policies were undertaken earlier without the sophisticated economic analysis. It also traces the emergence of the standard view, and offers an explanation for why it became accepted in the face of the readily available contradictory evidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Vladimir Kontorovich, 2015. "The Military Origins of Soviet Industrialization," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 57(4), pages 669-692, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:compes:v:57:y:2015:i:4:d:10.1057_ces.2015.8
    DOI: 10.1057/ces.2015.8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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