It is hard to imagine what kind of results the Second World War would have brought if not for the titanic and selfless work of millions of peasants and workers, engineers and designers, leading figures of culture and science, mobilizing the people of the Soviet Union to defeat the aggressor.
The half-lost economic potential and the relocation of hundreds of industrial enterprises to the eastern part of the country, irreparable loss of life and enormous destruction in the national economy at the very beginning of the war led to a significant reduction in industrial production. The economy of the USSR entered a period of decline. This was especially noticeable for the defense industries. At the end of 1941, the gross output of Soviet industry halved. Under the circumstances, the government was forced to take the most severe measures to strengthen the rear. From the very beginning of the aggression by the Nazis, they began to carry out mass mobilization of the civilian population on labor fronts.
By April 1942, the scale of mobilization expanded to rural residents. Such measures primarily affected adolescents and women. For example, in 1942, half of the people employed in the national economy were women. The most problematic issue at that time was the selection of qualified personnel. At the evacuated enterprises, no more than 27% of specialists and workers remained, therefore, by the end of 1942, a special training plan had been developed for short-term training courses for 400 thousand people. In total, 4.5 million people were trained in 1942. But be that as it may, the number of workers declined to 18.4 million, compared with 33.9 million in 1940.
The planned economy of the USSR at that time focused on providing military forces with military equipment and weapons. Even at the beginning of the war, due to significant losses, Soviet aviation greatly weakened. The situation required the immediate release of new combat aircraft.
In the tank industry, mass production of new design combat vehicles was launched.
A lot of effort was made by engineers and workers to increase the number of manufactured weapons and ammunition, which were so lacking at the fronts.
But by the end of 1941, the needs of the fleet and army in military equipment and weapons were not fully satisfied. To produce tanks, planes and other military equipment, a lot of high-quality steel was needed. Due to the relocation of the defense industry to Western Siberia in the Urals, it was necessary to make changes to the organization system and production technology at many metallurgical plants.
Serious damage during the war years was done to agriculture. Despite all the efforts exerted by agricultural workers in 1941, grain procurement and production of other products decreased significantly. The southeastern and eastern regions of the country, such as Siberia, the Volga region, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, became the production and raw material base. Be that as it may, but by the middle of 1942, the Soviet Union had established a war economy that was able to ensure the production of military products.
Already in 1943, the economy of the USSR began its growth due to the general increase in production.
Significantly increased national income, industrial products, state budget, freight turnover. In mid-1943, the opportunity arose to accelerate the rearmament of the fleet and army with the latest military equipment.
The highest point of military production of the Soviet Union reached in 1944. Such heights were achieved due to the presence of a solid foundation for the continuous development of the main branches of heavy industry. The increase in the number of products was due to a more efficient use of the capacities of existing plants, the commissioning of new industrial enterprises and the restoration of factories and plants in the conquered territories. The economy of the USSR, and in particular non-ferrous metallurgy, the chemical industry, metal processing, mechanical engineering and the production of weapons and ammunition, significantly exceeded pre-war standards. Also increased the number of agricultural products, investment and retail trade.
The eastern regions of the country played a particularly important role in the production of heavy industry products. Metal production also increased in the southern and central parts of the USSR. As a result, almost two times more steel was smelted by the end of hostilities, compared to 1943. The economy of the USSR received a significant impetus to development, thanks to an increase in the production of rolled products, non-ferrous metals and special steels. The fuel and energy base has expanded. Coal production has stabilized.
The experience of wartime proved that the command system of production management, formed on the eve of the war, had significant opportunities to mobilize the country's economic potentials. She was especially characterized by maneuverability and flexibility, combined with repressive measures that played an important role in the management of personnel and production. All this became the reason that the economy of the USSR during the years of World War II not only did not collapse, but also strengthened its position.