Historiographical review of the Anglo-American literature on Soviet industrialization

The article focuses on the analysis of Western scientists’ views on the industrialization of the 1930s. The study attempts to propose a fundamentally new classification of Anglo-American historiography of Soviet industrialization, to identify the milestones of its development with regard to modern works. The basis for the classification is the methodology elaborated by British and American researchers. Methodological issues of foreign industrialization-related works in the articles and monographs of Soviet authors remain unaddressed. Classification of the Anglo-American historiography is usually conducted either chronologically, or in terms of the authors’ views on the key debatable issues: how successful Soviet industrialization was, what was the role of Stalin and other Soviet leaders in this process; what methods were used for industrialization; what was the role of foreign specialists and companies in this process, etc. The authors also describe the principal works of Western scholars related to the issue. The emphasis in the above-mentioned works is predominantly placed on the negative representation of Soviet industrialization, i.e., its mistakes and failures. Meanwhile, in the authors’ view, the successes and achievements of industrialization remain disregarded by Western scientists.