ABSTRACT

The Russian and Soviet experience of attempting to create new types of economy is, perhaps surprisingly, still inadequately understood by both historians and economists. This is due to a number of factors – the Russian language barrier, cold war hostility, archaic forms of expression, difficulty in locating sources, the distorted priorities of ruling elites, incomplete conceptions of the subjects of history and economics themselves – to name but a few. This book aims to increase this understanding a little by providing an intermediate-level guide to the reality that unfolded, the debates which occurred and the alternatives which existed with regards to Russian economic development between 1890 and 1940, especially as economic thinkers conceived them at the time.2 It utilises existing scholarship and published materials extensively – sometimes reinterpreting them – adding theoretical lucidity and employing new unpublished sources when this further enables understanding of the topic under examination. Originality is thus provided first of all in terms of approach, perspective and scope, with the important (but sometimes neglected) contributions of Russian economic theorists being considered at length. It is intended primarily to stimulate new thinking, rather than to enshrine empirical fact.