Feet of clay? The Soviet economic giant in recent historiography

This review considers Soviet economic history in the light of recent contributions to the historiograply. Many of the latest studies in Soviet economic history take the form of archive-based treatments of economic policy and economic administration, the causes and consequences of periodic economic crises (notably famine), and the behaviour of workers, managers, and consumers within the constraints of the planned economy. As a result, we now have a clearer idea of the functioning of the economic system, the extent of coercion at various levels. and the scope of reform initiatives. Disagreement remains over important issues, notably the causes and timing of the Soviet economic collapse.