In its drafting, and still more in its execution, the Third Five Year Plan was dominated by the lengthening shadows of war. This third quinquennium opened with the inglorious year of Munich. Preoccupation with considerations of defence was evident in the main emphasis of the Plan: on transport improvement, on non-ferrous metals and special steels and on the chemical industry. The annual rate of increase of industrial output under the Third Plan was a relatively modest one, compared with the tempo of growth demanded by the First and Second Plans. During the first three years of the quinquennium this intended rate of progress was almost maintained. The project for the post-war and fourth Five Year Plan, which was presented to a session of the Supreme Soviet and adopted by it on March 18th, 1946, indicated that at least for the first post-war quinquennium investment priority was to remain with heavy industry.