Unified Military Industries of the Soviet Bloc
Hungary and the Division of Labor in Military Production
By (author) Pál Germuska
Publication date:
17 February 2015Length of book:
328 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9781498509060
This book draws a subtle picture of Warsaw Pact economic and military cooperation by presenting a complete branch—the military industry—from the perspective of a smaller member-state, Hungary. It demonstrates that the military industry’s cooperation played a crucial role in the development of economic integration within the Soviet Bloc, and it was in this sector that the strongest, most efficient integration was established. The book builds on recently declassified documentation from Soviet-led international economic organizations to give insight into the backstage debates of partner states, to shed light on the intensive conflicts and clashes of interests between the nations, and to highlight the bureaucratic decision making of the Eastern bloc’s supranational organ. The transnational analysis is supplemented by the presentation of the national viewpoint: how Hungary intended to vindicate its interests, what measures Budapest took to optimize international cooperation, and what kind of new markets were discovered outside the Warsaw Pact.
A skillful study of the relationship between economic and military developments, and a study that is of significance for the history not only of Hungary but also of the Warsaw Pact as a whole. . . .This is a skillful book that links specifics to a general thesis. Deserves wider attention.