Government, Industry and Rearmament in Russia, 1900–1914: The Last Argument of Tsarism

by Peter Gatrell

• ISBN13: 9780521466196
• ISBN10: 0521466199
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-04-29
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book provides an economic historian's perspective on major questions that confront all students of Russian history: how stable were the economic and administrative structures of late-imperial Russia, and how well prepared was Russia for war in 1914? The decade following the Russo-Japanese War witnessed profound changes in the political system and in the industrial economy. The regime faced challenges to its authority from industrialists, caught in the throes of recession, and from parliamentary critics of tsarist administration. Peter Gatrell provides a comprehensive account of the attempts made by government and business to confront these challenges, examining the organisation and performance of a key industry and showing how decisions were reached about the allocation of resources, and the far-reaching consequences these decisions entailed.

Table of Contents

1. Defence and the economy on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War

2. War and revolution, retrenchment and recession

3. The defence burden, 1907-14

4. The economics and politics of industrial recovery

5. The armaments industry: the search for identity and influence, 1908-14

6. The economics and politics of defence procurement

7. Military preparedness on the eve of the first world war.