Problem of Fixed Capital of State Industries in the Recovery Period of the USSR

Abstract

It might be said that problem of "socialist industrialization" in the history of the world is not quite clearly solved theoretically, though this problem is getting more and more urgent meanings in the present day world. Where does "socialist industrialization" find its own place in the historico-theoretical process of the modern world, starting from pre-monopoly capitalism through monopoly capitalism to socialism? Key to solution of the problem lies in the departure from every schematic way of thinking. "Socialist industrialization" has a close connection with uneven development of imperialism that is monopoly capiatalism. Under the law of uneven economic and political development of imperialism, socialism was first victorious in the backward and subjective imperialistic Russia. This accounts for the specially complicated tasks that were to be solved in the "transition period" of Soviet socialism; to overcome the backward and subjective structure of the economy and to prepare and expand material and technical base of socialism. It was "socialist industrialization" that could solve these tasks fundamentally. Only depending on a certain (however unsatisfactory) achievement of "socialist industrialization" could also be done "socialist transformation of agriculture". In this sense, "socialist industrialization" must be distinguished from mere "industrialization" as modernisation theory takes it. Looking from this point of view at the "socialist industrialization" of the USSR, it might be said that her experiences have not fully been theorized after concrete analyses of the historical process of "socialist industrialization". This implies that her experiences have not been so studied as to distinguish their universal meaning from their specific meaning. This article tries to analize theoretically from viewpoint of industry (especially that of indusrial fixed capital) the economic process of 1924-1925 of the USSR when she was on the eve of embarking in the "socialist industrialization". A critical study is made of the theory of E. Probrazhenski, one of chief leaders of left communists at that time. In this connection, analysis shows that the policy of "socialist industrialization" could be put forth under a certain condition of the "transition period" of Soviet economy.