The Years of Progress ― The Soviet Economy, 1934-1936

This volume, based on extensive research in formerly secret archives, examines the progress of Soviet industrialisation against the background of the rising threat of aggression from Germany, Japan and Italy, and the consolidation of Stalin's power. The iron and steel industry expanded rapidly, new non-ferrous and rare metals were introduced, and the foundations were laid of a modern armaments industry. Following the disastrous famine of 1932-33, agriculture recovered, and sufficient grain stocks were accumulated to cope with the shortages after the bad weather of 1936. These successes were achieved, after the abolition of rationing by combining central planning and mobilisation campaigns with the use of economic incentives and experimentation with markets. Although the Soviet system ultimately failed, its success in these years was a crucial stage in the spread of the economic and social transformation which began in England in the eighteenth century to the rest of the world.

R. W. Davies is Emeritus Professor of Soviet Economic Studies, Centre for Russian and East European Studies, University of Birmingham, UK – of which he was the foundation director. He is the author of many books and articles on Soviet history, including Soviet Economic Development from Lenin to Khruschev, Soviet History in the Gorbachev Revolution, and the previous five volumes in this series.

Oleg V. Khlevniuk is Senior Research Fellow at State Archive of the Russian Federation. He is the author of The History of the GULAG: From Collectivization to the Great Terror (2004), and Master of the House: Stalin and His Inner Circle (2008).

Stephen Wheatcroft is Professor in Soviet History at Nazarbayev University, Republic of Kazakhstan, and a specialist on Soviet agriculture and population. He is the editor of Challenging Traditional Views of Russian History (2002) and joint author with R. W. Davies of The Years of Hunger.