Fuel Sector Development in Russia in the First Half of the 20th Century

摘要

The authors of this article survey Russian fuel sector development in the first half of the 20th century. This is a very important issue, which plays a specific role in the topic of industrial development of Russia as it is the fuel sector that defines the tempo of industrial development and success of industrialization itself. The studied period was an uneasy one in the history of the country. Industrial growth was typical for the beginning and the end of the 20th century in Russia, but even this period was characterized by a certain deficiency in the fuel sector. It was vital to develop the fuel resources of the country. The Fist World War caused further growth in demand for fuel. It was followed by a regime change in 1917 and the Civil War combined with foreign intervention, which lead to a serious industrial crisis resolved only in the 1920-1930s. All these circumstances mold industrial development in the specified period. The authors pursue the following objectives: to follow the fuel system development by means of identifying its structural changes; to find out the root causes of the crisis, and to identify the steps taken by the Soviet government to overcome the crisis. This article is based on the most recent scientific works of historians and Russian archival documents.