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How much did the Soviets really spend on defence? New evidence from the close of the Brezhnev era

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Harrison, Mark, 1949- (2003) How much did the Soviets really spend on defence? New evidence from the close of the Brezhnev era. Working Paper. University of Warwick, Department of Economics, Coventry.

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Abstract

The paper considers the influence of the budget for military spending in the Soviet command economy. A specific problem is that the Soviet strategy of concealment left us without good measures of the military burden on Societ resources. The paper surveys previous western attempts to fill this gap alongside post-Brezhnev revelations. A new documentary source from 1982 that appears authoritative suggests much higher figures than anything proposed or revealed so far, and supports these higher figures in detail. However, the figures contain many puzzles and the authenticity of the document itself cannot be fully assured.

Item Type: Working or Discussion Paper (Working Paper)
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Brezhnev, Leonid Il'ich, 1906-1982, Soviet Union -- Armed Forces -- Appropriations and expenditures, Soviet Union -- Appropriations and expenditures, Soviet Union -- History -- 1953-1985, Soviet Union -- History, Military, Soviet Union -- Economic policy -- 1965-1975, Soviet Union -- Economic policy -- 1975-1985
Series Name: Warwick economic research papers
Publisher: University of Warwick, Department of Economics
Place of Publication: Coventry
Date: 3 January 2003
Number: No.662
Number of Pages: 41
Status: Not Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
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URI: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/1527

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