SFeDu
of.211, Gorgoko St., 88 
Rostov-on-Don
Russia
344002
+7 (863) 250-59-54
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
te@sfedu.ru

TERRA ECONOMICUS

  • Home
  • Issues
  • 2024
  • No 1
  • The myth of Leviathan: A new interpretation by a British historian. Reflections on Mark Harrison’s Secret Leviathan: Secrecy and State Capacity under Soviet Communism

The myth of Leviathan: A new interpretation by a British historian. Reflections on Mark Harrison’s Secret Leviathan: Secrecy and State Capacity under Soviet Communism


TERRA ECONOMICUS, , Vol. 22 (no. 1),

Russia’s stricter information policy since February 2022 and the reduction of various statistical data publications have raised many questions about the legitimacy, necessity, and efficacy of these actions. British economic historian Mark Harrison considers that the modern Russian information policy has taken the Soviet traditions of secrecy. From his point of view, the Bolshevik elite aimed to retain power through mass concealment of the Soviet reality and the propagation of misleading information. Opposite to Harrison’s view, this article identifies the military factor to be the primary reason for secrecy. Secrecy itself is used as a means of ensuring military security and preserving the internal stability of the state. My analysis has shown that secrecy was one of the features common to the countries involved in World War II and the subsequent Cold War. The extended period of military mobilization distinguished the USSR from other countries, which, surely, reflected in a high level of secrecy. This article identifies three periods in the USSR’s information policy, which are distinguished by the level of military threat and government spending on defense. The conclusion states that the issue of secrecy in the USSR is insufficiently examined, and justifies the necessity to pursue a more meaningful modern information policy, taking into account the historical experience.
Citation: Fomin D.A. (2024). The myth of Leviathan: A new interpretation by a British historian.Reflections on Mark Harrison’s Secret Leviathan: Secrecy and State Capacity under Soviet Communism. Terra Economicus 22(1), 35–49 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2024-22-1-35-49
Acknowledgment: The study is performed within the research and development plan stated by the Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering of the Siberian Branch RAS. Project: 5.6.6.4 (0260-2021-0008), Strategic Methods and Models of the Russian Economy Development in a Changing Macroeconomic Reality.


Keywords: information policy; war economy; military mobilization potential; state statistics; political censorship

JEL codes: D80, N44, O52, P50

References:
  • Али Т. (2023). Уинстон Черчилль: его эпоха, его преступления. М.: Альпина нон-фикшн, 589 с. [Ali, T. (2023). Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes. Мoscow: Alpina non-fiction Publ., 589 p. (in Russian)].
  • Белоусов А. (2000). Становление советской индустриальной системы. Россия–XXI (3), 22–67. [Belousov, A. (2000). Formation of the Soviet industrial system. Russia–XXI (3), 22–67 (in Russian)].
  • Варга Е. (1946). Изменения в экономике капитализма в итоге Второй мировой войны. М.: ОГИЗ, Госполитиздат, 320 с. [Varga, E. (1946). Changes in the Economy of Capitalism after World War II. Moscow: Gospolitizdat Publ., 320 p. (in Russian)].
  • Горяева Т.М. (2009). Политическая цензура в СССР. 1917–1991. М.: РОССПЭН, 407 с. [Goryaeva, Т. (2009). Political Censorship in the USSR. 1917–1991. Moscow: Russian Political Encyclopedia (ROSSPEN) Publ., 407 p. (in Russian)].
  • Ларсон Э. (2021). Страх и надежда: Как Черчилль спас Британию от катастрофы. М.: Альпина Паблишер, 816 с. [Larson, E. (2021). The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance during the Blitz. Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 816 p. (in Russian)].
  • Малаховская В.В., Малаховский А.К. (2019). Британские СМИ в период Второй мировой войны: особенности функционирования. Манускрипт 12(1), 66–72. [Malakhovskaya, V., Malakhovskyy, А. (2019). The British Media during the Second World War: Features of Functioning. Manuscript 12(1), 66–72 (in Russian)].
  • Манн М. (2018). Источники социальной власти: В 4 т. Т. 3. Глобальные империи и революция, 1890–1945 годы. М.: Дело, 696 с. [Mann, M. (2018). The Sources of Social Power (in 4 vols.). Vol. 3. Global Empires and Revolution, 1890–1945. Moscow: Delo Publishing House, 696 p. (in Russian)].
  • Минаев А.В. (ред.) (1999). Советская военная мощь от Сталина до Горбачева. М.: Военный Парад, 624 с. [Minaev, А. (ed.) (1999). The Soviet Military Power from Stalin to Gorbachev. Moscow: Voenny parad Publ., 624 p. (in Russian)].
  • Оруэлл Д. (2020). Дневники. М.: Альпина нон-фикшн, 696. [Orwell, G. (2020). The Orwell Diaries. Moscow: Alpina Non-Fiction Publ., 696 p. (in Russian)].
  • Пауэлс Ж. (2021). Большой бизнес и Гитлер. М.: Наше завтра, 352 с. [Pauwels, J. (2021). Big Business met Nazi-Duitsland. Moscow: Nashe zavtra Publ., 352 p. (in Russian)].
  • Ракитин А. (2013). Перевал Дятлова: загадка гибели свердловских туристов в феврале 1959 года и атомный шпионаж на советском Урале. М., Екатеринбург: Кабинетный ученый, 672 с. [Rakitin, A. (2013). The Dyatlov Pass Incident: The Mystery of the Death of Sverdlovsk Tourists in February 1959 and Atomic Espionage in the Soviet Urals. Moscow, Ekaterinburg: Kabinetny ucheny Publ., 672 p. (in Russian)].
  • Симчера В.М., Соколин В.Л., Машихин Е.А., Шевяков А.Ю. (2001). Энциклопедия статистических публикаций. М.: Финансы и статистика, 992 с. [Simchera, V., Sokolin, V., Mashihin, Е., Shevyakov, А. (2001). Encyclopedia for Statistical Publications. Moscow: Finance and Statistics Publ., 992 p. (in Russian)].
  • Скидельски Р. (2005). Дж. М. Кейнс. 1883–1946. Экономист, философ, государственный деятель. Кн. 2. М.: Московская школа политических исследователей, 804 с. [Skidelsky, R.(2005). Keynes J.M. 1883–1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman. Book 2. Moscow: Moscow School of Political Researchers Publ., 804 p. (in Russian)].
  • Туз А. (2020). Цена разрушения. Создание и гибель нацистской экономики. М.: Изд-во Института Гайдара, 864 с. [Tuz, A. (2020). The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy. Moscow: Gaidar Institute Publishing House, 864 p. (in Russian)].
  • Туз А. (2021). Всемирный потоп. Всемирная война и переустройство мирового порядка, 1916–1931. М.: Изд-во Института Гайдара, 640 с. [Tuz, A. (2021). Global Flood. World War and the Reorganization of the World Order, 1916–1931. Moscow: Gaidar Institute Publishing House, 640 p. (in Russian)].
  • Фомин Д.А. (2012). Старость, экономика, демография. ЭКО (4), 5–25. [Fomin, D. (2012). Decay, Economics, Demographics EKO (4), 5–25 (in Russian)].
  • Шпеер А. (1997). Воспоминания. Смоленск: Русич, 696 с. [Speer, A. (1997). Memories. Smolensk: Rusich, 696 p. (in Russian)].
  • Эвентов Л.Я. (1946). Военная экономика Англии. М.: ОГИЗ, Госполитиздат, 280 с. [Eventov, L. (1946). War Economy of England. Moscow: OGIZ, Gospolitizdat Publ., 280 p. (in Russian)].
  • Harrison, M. (2023). Secret Leviathan: Secrecy and State Capacity under Soviet Communism. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
  • Harrisson, T. (1976). Living through the Blitz. London: Collins.
Publisher: Southern Federal University
Founder: Southern Federal University
ISSN: 2073-6606