The Oxford economic historian who reassessed Soviet industrialization as one of the most successful development stories of the 20th century
"Soviet economic performance is usually dismissed as a failure. In contrast, I argue, the Soviet economy performed well. Japan was certainly the most successful developing economy of the twentieth century, but the USSR ranked just behind it."
Oxford economic historian Robert C. Allen argued in his 2003 book *Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution* that Soviet industrialization was one of the most successful development stories of the 20th century. His recalculation found that consumption per head rose by roughly 30% between 1928 and 1937, directly reversing the classic studies by Abram Bergson and Janet Chapman that had concluded consumption declined. Using a simulation model, he also presented a counterfactual showing that a continuation of NEP without collectivization would have produced similar GDP growth rates, making his work a key reference in debates over the costs and achievements of Stalinist industrialisation.
Career Timeline
- 1973–1975Assistant professor, Hamilton College
- 1975–2001Professor, Department of Economics, University of British Columbia
- 2000–2013Professor of Economic History, Oxford University; Fellow, Nuffield College
- 2012–2013President, Economic History Association
- 2014–현재Global Distinguished Professor of Economic History, NYU Abu Dhabi