Gosudarstvennyi Biutzhet Soiuza SSR na 1939 god [The State Budget of USSR for the 1939 year]
Moscow: Gosfinizdat, 1939. First edition. Hardcover. 8vo. 44pp. Original ivory paper wrappers with red lettering, rebound in modern gray three-quarter cloth over decorative green paper boards. "A report and a concluding word of the National Finance Comissar of USSR at the 3rd Session of the High Council of the USSR, 1st gathering, 25-29 May, 1939." Fascinating primary source documenting the official budget of USSR for the upcoming 1939 fiscal year. "The budget for 1939 is a powerful tool for answering the challenges set forth by our nation in the third Stalin Five-Year Plan... On the XVIII session of the Communist Party, Comrade Stalin with brilliant clarity and depth enlightened before us the achievements of our constructive socialist effort, and armed the party and the Soviet people with a grandiose plan for our further struggle towards a complete victory of Communism. Today in our nation socialism has essentially been achieved. We have eliminated the exploitating classes, and forever put an end to the exploitation of man by man... USSR has now essentially completed a technical reconstruction of agriculture. In our productive technique and speed of development we have surpassed the leading capitalist nations. Incredible conquests of socialism continue to fill the hearts of our workers, our communal farmers, and the Soviet intelligentsia with a fervent pride for their motherland and a boundless love for the Communist party, and our genius chief and friend of nations, the great Stalin (loud applause)." The budget delineates many interesting numbers, particularly in terms of defense spending. As the budget berates the "arms race" of the bourgeoise capitalist nations of Germany, England and US, it increases the budget of the Defense Commissariat by 17 billion rubles (almost a 200% increase, bringing official Soviet war spending to 1/3 of the entire state budget, in the year during which USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement, annexed eastern Poland, and declared war on Finland). Text in Russian. Slight bumping and scuffing to rebound boards. Library stamp on last page of interior. Boards in very good, original wrappers and interior in overall near fine condition. vg. Item #22875
Price: $150.00