Voenpriemka: prices, costs, and quality assurance in interwar defence industry

Abstract

In this chapter we examine the Soviet system for voenpriemka — the acceptance by the defence ministry of military equipment produced by industry for the armed forces. The institutions concerned were evolved in the 1930s in order to contain and manage fierce conflicts of interest between the army and industry, and their operation is therefore of interest from several points of view. The military strategist will seek illumination of the factors influencing the cost and quality of Soviet weapons. The economic historian will aim to discover the logic of the business strategies pursued by Soviet producers to defend their interests under pressure. The student of political economy will wish to probe more deeply into a significant fault line within the Soviet military-industrial complex.