State Regulation of the Economy in the Era of War and Revolution

I. V. Potkina’s new monograph examines state intervention in the economy during World War I by analyzing legislation enacted tsarist and Provisional governments between 1914 1917. Her analysis highlights main areas of economic intervention, priorities respective administrations, quantitative distribution regulatory activity year, evolution legislative process response to extraordinary circumstances wartime. The author concludes that imperial government regulated effectively war more successfully than its successor. This conclusion challenges prevailing narrative “backward” autocracy’s mismanagementof effort as primary reason for collapse compels a reconsideration question: If regime efficiently managed wartime economy, then why was it overthrown? review focuses on treatment policies regarding prohibition establishment fixed prices necessities illustrate discrepancy official popular perceptions relative success state’s interventional measures. Prohibition greeted with pogroms premises trading spirits cases poisoning non-potable substances such denatured alcohol, most government’s price-fixing resolutions applied only goods procured armed forces, not those sold population rear. Potkina attributes causes revolution disloyalty public organizations constituted liberal political opposition, but this explanation fails account dimension events February, which remains task future researchers.