Matthias Uhl1; 1 Max Weber Network Eastern Europe, Finland
Discussion
During the Second World War, it became strikingly clear that science and technology could decisively shape the course of events. The interplay between scientists and the military fostered close collaboration in specific fields of technology and science, particularly in weapons development and the arms industry. In the Soviet Union, the war led to the "scientification" of weapons development and warfare. The USSR’s political leadership increasingly relied on science and technology to further its strategic goals. However, the Soviet Union faced a significant technological gap in key defense areas—such as rocketry and aerospace technology—that had emerged during the war. To compete with its adversaries in armaments, the Soviet defense industry adopted a strategy of acquiring essential technology and expertise. Towards the end of the war, this strategy culminated in the formal integration of many aviation and rocket scientists and engineers into the ranks of the Red Army. This enabled them to directly study the latest technological advances of their enemies at the front and, when necessary, replicate them. This paper will explore how effectively Soviet scientists implemented this concept of catch-up technology transfer in the fields of aviation and rocketry, assessing its impact on the USSR’s postwar defense capabilities.
