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History of the world economy - Polyak GB

32. The Russian economy in 1900-1917.

The leading trends in the socio-economic development of Russia in the early XX century. Were the further growth of capitalism, its transition to a monopolistic stage, the country's entry into the world capitalist system. But despite the considerable successes of capitalism, especially during the industrial boom of the 1990s and the pre-war years, the Russian economy developed in the face of growing contradictions between advanced industrial production and the remaining remnants of feudalism: autocracy, large landed estates, and feudal methods of exploiting the peasantry in agriculture.

32.1. Economic crises early XX century.

Monopoly capitalism in Russia was formed in the conditions of disproportion of political and economic development, preservation of noble privileges, low living standards of the overwhelming majority of the population, weak development of peasant private ownership of land.

Meanwhile, Russia was not satisfied with the situation of the country of the second echelon, it sought to become part of the vanguard of world civilization. The condition for the realization of this goal was higher rates of economic development than in the advanced countries. However, the international situation, political, social relations, the standard of living of the population of Russia did not comply with European norms. Rapid industrial development was not accompanied by social and political progress. It needed a deep modernization of the country.

Any country, regardless of the level of its industrial development, but involved in international trade, can not escape the impact of world economic crises. Russia did not escape them either. This testified to the objectively growing economic unity of the industrial world. Economic crises affected different countries to varying degrees. The crisis of 1900-1903, which began in the West, seized the economy of Russia, where it took a heavy and protracted character, which was explained by the general Russian social and economic backwardness, periodic crop failures in a large territory of the country, and a low living standard of the population.

The economic crisis of 1900-1903 .

The first signs of a breakdown in the country's economic life were the bankruptcies of large engineering and railroads firms in August 1899, the crisis of stock valuables in St. Petersburg on September 23, 1899 (a "rainy day"). By the end of the year, private commercial banks and the State Bank raised the discount rate to 7%. Enterprises began to reduce loans for goods that were released, which caused an excess of goods, a fall in prices for them in the domestic market and a decline in the share price of industrial enterprises. Closed not only medium and small, but also large enterprises, although the combined nature of large enterprises allowed to maintain a certain stability. In all, during the crisis years, 3,000 small and medium enterprises closed, with 112,000 workers. In the metallurgical industry, 18 large enterprises with a capital of 55 million rubles were liquidated, in engineering - 33 enterprises.

During the crisis, only 78 enterprises were opened. From 1900 to 1903 years. Rolling of rails, rail fastenings fell by 32%, steam locomotives - by 25%, smelting of cast-iron - by 15%. The railway construction has sharply decreased. If in 1899, 5248 km of roads were built, then in 1903 - only 763 km, that is, seven times less. Oil production declined, whereas at the end of the 19th century, Russia consumed more oil than the whole of Western Europe; Such consumption had not only positive consequences, but also negative - oil was burnt extremely uneconomically. To a lesser extent, the coal industry suffered: first, production fell by only 0.3%, but in subsequent years it began to rise and increased by 13% from 1902 to 1905. And primarily through increased coal production in Eastern Siberia.

The impact of the crisis on trade was manifested in the reduction of imports of manufactured goods, especially machinery and equipment. In the light industry, the crisis has affected more gently than in other industries. Therefore, the revival in the cotton cloth industry began already in 1902-1903.

In general, however, the economic crisis, although it led to a slowdown in the pace of industrial production, did not stop the progressive development of capitalism. In the country there were 23 thousand industrial enterprises.

The crisis of 1907-1908 .

After a brief revival of economic life in 1907, a new economic crisis began. In Russia, he was preceded by the most important events: the Russo-Japanese War and the first Russian revolution, in the struggle against which the owners of enterprises often went to curtail production and lock-outs. It should be noted that during the war, on the one hand, military orders contributed to the development of industries associated with the production of weapons and ammunition, and on the other, the huge costs of its management led to a deterioration of the country's financial system and a deficit in the state budget. The Russian economy very slowly came out of depression. 1908 still remained heavy for a number of branches of the national economy.