L.P. Beria and interdepartmental competition in the Soviet economy in the 1940s

The author examines the problem of governance in the Soviet economy at the example of L.P. Beria’s activity. The central subject is the changes in the behavior of L.P. Beria in interdepartmental conflicts. The author examines the relations between Beria’s career growth and his role in resolving disagreements among agents of the Soviet economy and defines this path as a movement from a role of «lobbyist» to an «arbiter».