Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Which lessons from Cold War history are relevant for China’s future?

To discuss the successes, failures, and strategies of Soviet leaders, ChinaTalk interviewed Yakov Feygin. Feygin is the author of Building a Ruin: The Cold War Politics of Soviet Economic Reform, which examines how various Soviet leaders, institutions, and economists attempted to boost Soviet growth and national power. 

Co-hosting today is Jon Sine, writer of the Cogitations substack.

We discuss:

• The strengths and limitations of the Stalinist economic model,


• Khrushchev’s shift to “peaceful competition” with capitalism,


• Alternative policy paths that could have saved the Soviet Union,


• How technological optimism shaped Soviet reform efforts, inspiring the CCP in the process,


• Parallels between the institutions of the Soviet Union and those of contemporary China,


• The battle between political scientists and historians when analyzing the political economy of authoritarian states.

Outro music: Building a Ruin - Skyclad (Youtube link)

Links to all the books and papers referenced in this show are available on the ChinaTalk substack.

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