The American press about the soviet industrialization in 1920-1930s

Abstract

Press releases’ nature about the soviet industrialization, business and political circles’ and intellectuals’ reaction to the changes in the USSR during the 1920-1930s and deciding factors of the five-year plans perception by the Americans are determined and analyzed in this work. American periodicals, diplomatic correspondence of the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (NKID) as well as materials of soviet propaganda are of particular importance for this research. On the basis of these sources the following conclusions were drawn: the American public had different views on the Soviet industrialization. Positive estimations were based on the real progress (new plants’ construction, improvement of the quality of life). Negative - on disparities between Soviet and American standards of labor productivity and quality, management, discipline, etc. Authors’ personal sympathies to the Soviet regime, artificial information selection by soviet censorship, political, social and economic environment in the USA influenced on the American public opinion. Soviet propaganda methods in order to form proper views in American society in that period were not substantial.