68 
The party directives for the second 5 Year Plan (1933-37) visual- 
ized an accelerated development of Soviet merchant marine. A total 
of 26.3 billion rubles were planned for the development of Soviet 
transport. Although the figures for the merchant marine were not 
published, judging from previous practice, 6 to 8 billion rubles would 
be a fair assumption. In reality, however, the merchant marine 
received only 23 new ships during 1933-34, with a total cargo capacity 
of 130,000 tons. The remaining 3 years of the second 5 Year Plan 
witnessed a sharp reorientation of Soviet industry toward military 
production. “In shipbuilding, navy orders became predominant, and 
construction of merchant ships practically stopped. Partial reinforce- 
ment of the merchant marine was conducted through the purchase 
of ships abroad.” © 
Instead of ships and port modernization, the Soviet merchant marine 
was fed with decisions. According to a decision of the CPSU Central 
Committee in 1934 the political directorate of Water Transport and 
political departments in steamship companies were organized. Their 
functions were defined, “‘to assure fulfillment of party directives for 
the improvement of all activities of water transport, to increase polliti- 
cal education and training of personnel, to elevate vigilance.” 
Meanwhile, the shortage of Soviet tonnage forced the greater use 
of the chartering of foreign ships. 
The Spanish Civil War presented the Soviet merchant marine with 
an additional burden. The Soviet supplies to the Republicans could 
be delivered only by sea, directly to the Spanish ports, or through 
France. A number of Soviet ships were detained by Franco forces, 
and three, the Komsomol, the Timiryazev, and the Blagoev, were sunk. 
The weak Soviet Navy could not provide the Soviet merchant marine 
with effective protection. 
The 18th Party Congress (March 1939) directives for the third 
5 Year Plan for 1939-43, visualized the acceleration of the merchant 
marine development. According to the plan, the merchant marine 
role in the country’s transportation system was to be increased, new 
types of ship were to be built, ports improved, and the Northern 
Sea Route mastered. A considerable increase in capital investment 
was planned.® In reality, however, despite a modest increase in civilian 
shipbuilding, little was done to improve the merchant marine prior 
to World War II. By 1940 the tonnage of the U.S.S.R. Merchant 
Fleet approached 2 million tons, but qualitatively the majority of 
ships were obsolete and in no way able to satisfy the needs of sea 
transportation, either in peacetime or during the war. 
When the war started on June 22, 1941, a number of merchant 
ships were taken over by the Soviet Navy. The activity of all steam- 
ship companies was immediately subordinated to the needs of the 
military command, and firm military control over them was 
established. 
The war took a heavy toll of the Soviet merchant fleet. Nearly 
half (380) of all ships were lost and practically all remaining ships 
were badly in need of repairs. The Soviet Union collected all the 
*6““Morskoy Flot’, No. 2, 1967, p. 4. 
*7““Morskoy Flot’, No. 2, 1967, p. 5 
®§““Morskoy Flot’, No. 3, 1967, p. 7. 
