Impacts of political interests on the arms exports of Škoda Works in the 1930s: the case of supplies to Yugoslavia and Iran

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ABSTRACT This paper, which features selected examples of arms exports by Škoda Works, the largest Czechoslovak manufacturer, examines the influence of the state’s political and military interests on the volume and prices of exported arms. Two different markets were selected for the analysis: Yugoslavia (trades subject to the strong influence of the Czechoslovak government) and Iran (without significant politically motivated interventions by the Czechoslovak government). Research based mainly on archival materials shows that political factors influenced the volume of exports, but they were not a guarantee of lower prices, which were also influenced by other factors.