Kruzhok - Exporting Autarky

The Kruzhok-REEES Reading Group presents Gabriel Mesa, Yale University

Title: "Exporting Autarky: Soviet Political Economy in Pursuit of State Security, 1929-1945"

Abstract: This paper reflects the current state of a larger dissertation project that seeks to examine the the interdependence between the study of the international economy and Soviet foreign policy during the Great Depression. Using a combination of novel sources outside of Russia (US, Spain, Japan), currently accessible Soviet archives, and already published sources, the central arguments revisit historiographical debates about the function of Soviet institutions such as the Comintern and the GUGB/NKVD (Inostranny otdel) in the origins of the Second World War. In particular, the paper ascribes a predominant role to economic analysis and international trade relationships in Soviet foreign relations, both official and unofficial, "legal" and "illegal." Further, it suggests a deliberate and significant global proliferation of Soviet industrialization schemes among contemporary non-Communist powers. Attendees are encouraged to provide feedback and suggest further research directions.

Bio:  Gabriel Mesa is a PhD student in History at Yale University. His primary academic interests revolve around the intellectual and diplomatic history of Russia and the Soviet Union. He graduated from Yale in May 2023 with an M.A. in History and a B.S. in both Physics and History. His dissertation examines the interdependence between the study of the international economy and Soviet foreign policy during the Great Depression.

Date: Friday, October 30, 2026

Not Open to the Public; for more information on the kruzhok and to get involved, please visit it's webpage.