US/USSR connections in military technology transfer before Lend-Lease?

Discussions on all aspects of the United States of America during the Inter-War era and Second World War. Hosted by Carl Schwamberger.
Post Reply
durb
Member
Posts: 627
Joined: 06 May 2014, 10:31

US/USSR connections in military technology transfer before Lend-Lease?

#1

Post by durb » 06 Jul 2015, 19:30

Looking back to 1930´s and the days before WW2 it appears that there was considerable amount of military technology business between USA and USSR. Specially in the aviation field:
- many Soviet aircraft engines were based on American engines like Wright-Cyclone which were imported and built by licence
- despite the anticommunist sentiments in USA there was important commercial activity between USA and USSR: to my knowledge there was not much limitation to the military technology export business with the USSR (which seemingly was a quite good customer for US companies)

Thus the conclusion is that despite the political sympathies/antipathies the US authorities were willing to accept that US firms could sell important aviation technology like engine licenses and strategic raw materials to USSR. I wonder how much this has been studied and if there are any books or research articles devoted to the connections of American firms with the Soviet military industry before the WW2 and before the start of Lend-Lease?

Carl Schwamberger
Host - Allied sections
Posts: 10056
Joined: 02 Sep 2006, 21:31
Location: USA

Re: US/USSR connections in military technology transfer before Lend-Lease?

#2

Post by Carl Schwamberger » 06 Jul 2015, 22:06

Probablly a lot more complex than that. On the point of poltical attitudes some US business leaders became anit communist after some experience doing business in the USSR. A specific example would the Fred Koch, who in partnership with lewis Winkler supervised the construction of state of the art refinery equipment in the USSR from 1929 o 1932. Kochs experience there soured him on any empathy with the Soviet government or its future & he ceased doing business there after 1932. Koch & Winkler seem to have turned to business with the USSR because some patent lawsuits prevented them from using their core engineering items in the US. Walther Christie seems to have turned to the USSR after failing to gain any contracts of note in the US. During the depression a number of US companies sought contracts in the USSR, and elsewhere overseas to stave off bankruptcy.

Probablly a lot more to it, but thats the extent of my reading.


South
Member
Posts: 3590
Joined: 06 Sep 2007, 10:01
Location: USA

Re: US/USSR connections in military technology transfer before Lend-Lease?

#3

Post by South » 08 Jul 2015, 09:21

Good morning Durb,

Much has been studied and many, many, many books and articles about the US export of military technology and arms, ammunitions and explosives are available. Involving the USSR, this history traces back even prior to the establishment of the Soviet Union.

In re "anticommunist sentiments in the USA" and "political sympathies/antipathies", Lord Palmerston's adage "Nations have no allies, only interests" governs. Also see Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, 1891.

As an American I start the study of military technology transfers to the USSR with the reason "Colt won the West" (The famous American revolver very populat in America's "West" after the US Civil War, 1861-1865). The better quality revolver, the Smith and Wesson, had most all production lines committed to export sales to the Czar's Russia. This better quality revolver was exported as part of agreement(s) involving secret loans to the Lincoln administration during the US Civil War. Research Smith and Wesson Model 3 Russian First Model, caliber .44 S&W Russian circa 1871-1872.

Did the advanced-level technology .... fully understood to have a major military application.....to build the Trans Siberian Railroad come from the blue sky ?! Only 1 nation had this intellectual property and that was the USA. (Canada was involved [ I'm writing in sketchy style]). On 3 March 1917, President Wilson appointed as Commander of the US Army's Russian Railway Service Corps (much domestic dispute as to whether "military" members of the US presence in Vladivostok (Kerensky's government replaced Czar's), the former General Manager of the Great Northern Railroad. Much going on and I'm omitting much (and I don't know much anyway; still state secrets involved).

The US presence in Soviet aviation development also shows a presence of Fokkers and and Rolls Royce products.

Much literature is available re the banking arrangements.

Much literature is available re the petroleum industry. I have some of this material here.

Anything REALLY strategic is unlawful to export from the US without specific US Government approval. Any downstream events re disputes to the laws induces politics......and the US is loaded with as many lobbyists as aeronautical engineers, etc.

If someone has a liking for Jewel of Russia vodka or a luxury apartment in Miami, Florida, it requires money.

Thus, sentiments and sympathies do not govern; only accounts receivable. Nothing is new under the Sputnik.

Warm regards,

Bob

Post Reply

Return to “USA 1919-1945”