The Soviet Union's post-war economic strategy
1945-1953: between reconstruction and central planning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65074/gxb61w84Keywords:
Soviet Union, economic policy, Joseph Stalin, five-year plan, reconstructionAbstract
Received: 2026 / 04 / 18
Revision: 2026 / 05 / 05
Accepted: 2026 / 05 / 19
Published: 2026 / 09 / 30
Following the end of World War II in 1945, the Soviet Union faced significant economic challenges due to the widespread destruction of its infrastructure, industry, and agriculture. Reconstruction became a top priority in state policy. Under Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leadership adopted an economic strategy based on reconstruction and central planning, focusing on rebuilding heavy industry and boosting production capacity. The aim was to restore economic strength and solidify the Soviet Union's position as a global power. This strategy relied on five-year plans that primarily directed resources and human capital toward the industrial and military sectors. The state placed great emphasis on the production of iron, steel, coal, and oil, considering them fundamental to economic and military development.
This research begins with the premise that Soviet economic policy was not merely a domestic effort to rebuild a war-torn economy, but rather part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at consolidating the Soviet economic model, strengthening the state's power, and linking the economy to political, military, and international objectives, particularly within the context of competition with the United States during the early stages of the Cold War. The research concludes that the Soviet economy directly contributed to the formation of the Eastern Bloc, deepened the divide with the West, and transformed the economy into an instrument of international conflict.
References
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5. عبد الحميد البطريق، التيارات السياسية المعاصرة 1815–1961، بيروت، 1974.
ثالثا: الرسائل والاطاريح
1. عبد الرزاق حمزة عبد الله، خطة مارشال (دراسة تاريخية)، اطروحة دكتوراه(غير منشورة)، جامعة بغداد، كلية الآداب، 2013 .
2. ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ ، مرسوم الإعارة والتأجير الأمريكي في سنوات الحرب العالمية الثانية، رسالة ماجستير (غير منشورة)، جامعة بغداد، كلية الآداب، 2006.
رابعا: البحوث المنشورة
باللغة الانكليزية
1. Lyubov Lazareva et al., “USSR in the Post-War Years: The Struggle for Economic Independence (1945–1953),” E3S Web of Conferences, Vol. 210 (2020): 16015.
2. Mark Harrison, The Soviet Union after 1945: Economic Recovery and Political Repression (Coventry: University of Warwick, 11 December 2010).
3. Penghui Deng et al., "The Major Achievements of Soviet Union's Economic Development (1945-1953)," SSRN Electronic Journal, April 1, 2025.
4. Susan J. Linz, Measuring the Carryover Cost of WWII to the Soviet People: 1945–1953, Explorations in Economic History, Vol. 20, 1983.
باللغة العربية
بوريس سكفورتسوف، الاقتصاد السوفيتي في الحرب العالمية الثانية: كيف انشئت القدرة الدفاعية، مجلة المال والتجارة، العدد 192، 1985.
خامسا: الموسوعات
1. The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 7, New York , 1989.
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