Socialism in One Country and Capital Accumulation

Abstract

Historically speaking, the first haft-century of Soviet experience proved possibility of industrialising without the aid of individual capitalist entrepreneurs, which liberal economics had considered indispensable (Mills, 1960, p.152). This was also the first time industrialisation took place without the contribution of an external colonial tribute. Some analysts, however, describe the Soviet experience as a case internal colonialism. Because of the manner in which the USSR was constituted, it came to include the Russian empire in Central and East Asia. But also, in a larger sense, in the Soviet regime’s dominance over the peasantry in order to obtain a tribute, some writers have seen the post-Leninist regime as colonial (cf. Gouldner, 1977–8). In connection with Soviet industrialisation it should be recalled that pre-revolutionary Russia was already endowed with a substantial industry. But, besides having been largely destroyed during the civil war and the interventions, prewar Tsarist Russia, according to several historians, had reached a point where structural and political problems prevented further capitalist industrial development.¹ The revolution removed most of these obstacles and paved the way for an industrial process which took place in a much shorter span of time than in previous examples.