Again don't see this as the end of helping out rebellions, could we be not be so doom and gloom about this crisis and figure out what to do instead of acting like it's all over?
Well, I have an idea of what should be done, but unfortunately, I don't know that we'd be able to steer in that direction.
We're the minister of the economy, not of foreign affairs.
Also, as far as reasons to be optimistic, the consequences of this crisis haven't finished shaking out, so there are some things I am hoping to see that we don't know if they will happen yet.
So, I am hoping that being willing to sink French ships trying to intradict trade with Libya brings us closer to the Libyan regime, both because the Libyans value our willingness to shed French blood (and shed our own blood for anticolonial wars) and because maybe after this both Gadaffi and Semyonov might want to form closer ties to make very clear to the French and Americans that messing with Libya is a red line.
A Libyan alliance would help come the oil crisis and if we want to save as many Algerians as we can from French genocide, probably our best path to do that now would be giving Libya the economic assistance it needs to host significant refugee populations.
That we just showed that we are willing to sink French ships also might encourage the Americans to be more careful. As @Red Rationalist mentioned, being unpredictable has some use in diplomacy.
For other reasons to be optimistic, we'll see how Semyonov's purge goes. There's a number of ways things could go wrong. But Semyonov has generally has good ideas in domestic politics and foreign politics, so him emerging stronger would be good.
Am worried at what the purge will do to the "conservatives" though. I've been thinking for a while that we will need to do a more left wing (economically left that is) plan to try and cut down the power of the big entrepreneurs and the state enterprise managers who have been forming a bit of an aristocracy. I don't particularly regret moving so far to the (economic) right under Mikoyan and his successors, since we needed to cover for the weaknesses of the planning system and using imperfect tools was better than leaving the problems un-addressed. But we want our entrepreneurs to be workers and co-ops making good, not well connected aparachniks finding more ways to profit off of the system. Putting a bit of stick about and reminding everyone to stay honest is probably something we're overdue with.
And while Klimenko made some effort to address corruption within the ministry and state enterprises, we can be sure that he only took a sliver out of that leviathan, and we'll need to pick away at that problem a bit more too in future.
So hopefully Romanov either survives after helping oust Klimenko and can rebuild a functional conservative faction that can give us political backing for keeping our lawn in order, or Romanov can have the decency to be succeeded by a nicely economically left successor who can do the same job.
As to things we can do, based on the OTL Cold War, I think the best strategy for the Soviet Union would be to be a generous ally who is the reasonable adult in the room. Do the Chinese keep funding freedom fighters? Do the Koreas keep sending more troops to fight South Africa? Does Germany send technical advisors to Libya? Oh dear! That's not our fault! And we'll certainly have a little talk with them about de-escalating if you can give us a few concessions to take to them to show good faith... But if you mess with China, Korea or Germany, we will ****ing well nuke you.
Basically, let others be the tank and DPS classes, we play support class.
It also gives our important allies a way to show that they are better Communists than us, and certainly aren't our vassals, while also letting them annoy the Americans enough that no American leaders can think clearly enough to get Nixon-smart and try offering our allies honey instead of vinegar.
But that's for the MFA and General Secretary to decide. What can we do as minister for the economy? Well, we need to make sure the Euro ****ing works for our allies. We've bet big on it. We can't afford for it not to be a success. If we have opportunities to give increase aid to our "vanguard" allies (those playing tank or DPS) we should do so. Nigeria, Libya and East Africa are particularly key. That two of these vanguard allies are also going to be important come the energy crisis also helps.
We also need to do our job well, and particularly prepare for our block to ride out the energy crisis with minimal discomfort.
Oh, and another reason for optimism: our enemies will make mistakes too.
Ashbrook's ideas are going to be disasterous for American foreign policy, and the French can't rebuild their empire taking advantage of one solitary goof on our part. They will screw the pooch, we just have to let them.
If Ashrook is in office for the energy crisis, that's going to be particularly fun. (Also, it will be bloody scary, but so long as we play chess while the Americans play panicked poker, we will come out ahead.)
From recent updates I suspect that problems are already brewing in South America and the Middle East for the Americans, and both of those regions are going to get even more important come the energy crisis.
I dunno about how likely that would have been. The Cold War was a serious driver of how the German and Japanese occupations turned out. But that doesn't really matter. The US occupation of Japan clearly was a wise one in TTL, so hey, good for Japan.
Also, in a way the US has a stronger position in Asia, Southeast Asia will be pretty solidly in the American camp. Malaysia will have a strong attraction to whatever side Indonesia isn't on. Thailand isn't going to like our anti-monarchist butts. Vietnam is pro-American. Laos and Cambodia won't have many options stuck between Vietnam and Thailand. The Philippines will be pro-American or else. Burma/Myanmar is the only place there's any question. Could well see them being close to China and India and thus at least somewhat friendly with us. But equally, Burma could be pro-American too.
The US doesn't have Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea on side in TTL, but I don't think that materially affects that they have a strong position overall.
Maybe but it definitely would be less compared to the amount of pollution caused by the USA if people commit to Nuclear and Renewables. In fact it could also be used as an avenue to make propaganda attacks against the USA. It also has downsides mind you, with the USSR likely being less willing to do actual Green Initiatives because its Power Grid isn't dependent on Fossil Fuels unlike the other powers.
I expect that we'll eventually want to export nuclear reactors, so green marketing will have its attractions to us even if we have largely decarbonized everything besides transport and steel smelting by the time anyone else really cares about such things.
The US doesn't have Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea on side in TTL, but I don't think that materially affects that they have a strong position overall.
South Korea and Taiwan not being on America's side in TTL will certainly have an interesting butterfly effect as far tech goes with no chip manufacturing for them, or tech companies from Korea.
Of course this could lead to America developing those industries more in the Asian countries they have influence over or building up their own chip industry.
Like, I don't think the crisis in the system or ongoing social and environmental catastrophe are being passed over. It's just, in the background, shimmering just beyond the horizon. Ignored, not because it is not being accounted for, but because it make narrative sense for a flawed person who receive a flawed information within a flawed system would simply not prioritise, know, care, or even comprehend it.
A fair point! My comments about communism in relation to the quest are more about how the author relates to it than the characters in universe, though by now it's clear to me that Blackstar and I don't actually disagree on all that much when it comes to Marxist theories of change. That makes me all the more interested to see where the quest goes from here on out.
Well, I have an idea of what should be done, but unfortunately, I don't know that we'd be able to steer in that direction.
We're the minister of the economy, not of foreign affairs.
Also, as far as reasons to be optimistic, the consequences of this crisis haven't finished shaking out, so there are some things I am hoping to see that we don't know if they will happen yet.
So, I am hoping that being willing to sink French ships trying to intradict trade with Libya brings us closer to the Libyan regime, both because the Libyans value our willingness to shed French blood (and shed our own blood for anticolonial wars) and because maybe after this both Gadaffi and Semyonov might want to form closer ties to make very clear to the French and Americans that messing with Libya is a red line.
A Libyan alliance would help come the oil crisis and if we want to save as many Algerians as we can from French genocide, probably our best path to do that now would be giving Libya the economic assistance it needs to host significant refugee populations.
That we just showed that we are willing to sink French ships also might encourage the Americans to be more careful. As @Red Rationalist mentioned, being unpredictable has some use in diplomacy.
For other reasons to be optimistic, we'll see how Semyonov's purge goes. There's a number of ways things could go wrong. But Semyonov has generally has good ideas in domestic politics and foreign politics, so him emerging stronger would be good.
Am worried at what the purge will do to the "conservatives" though. I've been thinking for a while that we will need to do a more left wing (economically left that is) plan to try and cut down the power of the big entrepreneurs and the state enterprise managers who have been forming a bit of an aristocracy. I don't particularly regret moving so far to the (economic) right under Mikoyan and his successors, since we needed to cover for the weaknesses of the planning system and using imperfect tools was better than leaving the problems un-addressed. But we want our entrepreneurs to be workers and co-ops making good, not well connected aparachniks finding more ways to profit off of the system. Putting a bit of stick about and reminding everyone to stay honest is probably something we're overdue with.
And while Klimenko made some effort to address corruption within the ministry and state enterprises, we can be sure that he only took a sliver out of that leviathan, and we'll need to pick away at that problem a bit more too in future.
So hopefully Romanov either survives after helping oust Klimenko and can rebuild a functional conservative faction that can give us political backing for keeping our lawn in order, or Romanov can have the decency to be succeeded by a nicely economically left successor who can do the same job.
As to things we can do, based on the OTL Cold War, I think the best strategy for the Soviet Union would be to be a generous ally who is the reasonable adult in the room. Do the Chinese keep funding freedom fighters? Do the Koreas keep sending more troops to fight South Africa? Does Germany send technical advisors to Libya? Oh dear! That's not our fault! And we'll certainly have a little talk with them about de-escalating if you can give us a few concessions to take to them to show good faith... But if you mess with China, Korea or Germany, we will ****ing well nuke you.
Basically, let others be the tank and DPS classes, we play support class.
It also gives our important allies a way to show that they are better Communists than us, and certainly aren't our vassals, while also letting them annoy the Americans enough that no American leaders can think clearly enough to get Nixon-smart and try offering our allies honey instead of vinegar.
But that's for the MFA and General Secretary to decide. What can we do as minister for the economy? Well, we need to make sure the Euro ****ing works for our allies. We've bet big on it. We can't afford for it not to be a success. If we have opportunities to give increase aid to our "vanguard" allies (those playing tank or DPS) we should do so. Nigeria, Libya and East Africa are particularly key. That two of these vanguard allies are also going to be important come the energy crisis also helps.
We also need to do our job well, and particularly prepare for our block to ride out the energy crisis with minimal discomfort.
Oh, and another reason for optimism: our enemies will make mistakes too.
Ashbrook's ideas are going to be disasterous for American foreign policy, and the French can't rebuild their empire taking advantage of one solitary goof on our part. They will screw the pooch, we just have to let them.
If Ashrook is in office for the energy crisis, that's going to be particularly fun. (Also, it will be bloody scary, but so long as we play chess while the Americans play panicked poker, we will come out ahead.)
From recent updates I suspect that problems are already brewing in South America and the Middle East for the Americans, and both of those regions are going to get even more important come the energy crisis.
I dunno about how likely that would have been. The Cold War was a serious driver of how the German and Japanese occupations turned out. But that doesn't really matter. The US occupation of Japan clearly was a wise one in TTL, so hey, good for Japan.
Also, in a way the US has a stronger position in Asia, Southeast Asia will be pretty solidly in the American camp. Malaysia will have a strong attraction to whatever side Indonesia isn't on. Thailand isn't going to like our anti-monarchist butts. Vietnam is pro-American. Laos and Cambodia won't have many options stuck between Vietnam and Thailand. The Philippines will be pro-American or else. Burma/Myanmar is the only place there's any question. Could well see them being close to China and India and thus at least somewhat friendly with us. But equally, Burma could be pro-American too.
The US doesn't have Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea on side in TTL, but I don't think that materially affects that they have a strong position overall.
I expect that we'll eventually want to export nuclear reactors, so green marketing will have its attractions to us even if we have largely decarbonized everything besides transport and steel smelting by the time anyone else really cares about such things.
Good stuff to know and can imagine will be helping out our allies heavily because of ideology and economic reasons, also because the military loves to dumb there old stuff on them so they have more resources for new stuff instead of having to use it to maintain or store the old stuff.
A fair point! My comments about communism in relation to the quest are more about how the author relates to it than the characters in universe, though by now it's clear to me that Blackstar and I don't actually disagree on all that much when it comes to Marxist theories of change. That makes me all the more interested to see where the quest goes from here on out.
Blackstar was very excited in Discord when you posted your essays lmao. She very much seemed to enjoy this! Of course she read obscure left wing theorists at 15 so she's just a weirdo.
Blackstar was very excited in Discord when you posted your essays lmao. She very much seemed to enjoy this! Of course she read obscure left wing theorists at 15 so she's just a weirdo.
Good stuff to know and can imagine will be helping out our allies heavily because of ideology and economic reasons, also because the military loves to dumb there old stuff on them so they have more resources for new stuff instead of having to use it to maintain or store the old stuff.
South Korea and Taiwan not being on America's side in TTL will certainly have an interesting butterfly effect as far tech goes with no chip manufacturing for them, or tech companies from Korea.
Of course this could lead to America developing those industries more in the Asian countries they have influence over or building up their own chip industry.
Well, the reason why Japan, Taiwan and South Korea went big into computer chips is that micro-electronics were for a long time very labour intensive products, so having large amounts of cheap labour was a big competitive advantage.
So there's no reason why Thailand, Vietnam and Japan couldn't develop into major electronics manufacturers. Or indeed for Malaysia to get further up the value chain than they did in OTL (in our own history, Malaysia has pretty much got stuck with labour intensive mid-value parts of the electronics production process, like chip packaging).
For similar reasons, I expect that we'll be moving our own electronics manufacturing out to Central Asia as it scales up.
Of course, with a more competitive Soviet chip industry, our allies will likely be major electronics players for longer. Eastern Europe bet big on electronics in OTL, and as America chokes off the supply of high-end chips (they did in OTL, I imagine Ashbrook will in TTL also) in this world there's a growing Soviet industry that can maybe fill the gap...
Also, don't count out our non-European allies. India in OTL was the first Asian country to fab its own chips. India's IC industry kinda got stalled early on in OTL, but in TTL there's no reason why India couldn't turn into a chip titan of such power that they out-compete us and the USA. Same goes for China. Indonesia and Korea have just as much potential as Japan. And this early, even our African allies could emerge as microchip-based Tiger economies.
I know this channel has been mentioned in the thread before, but Asianometry has some really excellent videos on the history of the electronics industry.
It is amazing how contingent the history of the industry is. At this point, both we and the Americans could lose big, and any of the other players in the world just about could emerge as our replacements (at least in the micro-electronics industries).
Blackstar was very excited in Discord when you posted your essays lmao. She very much seemed to enjoy this! Of course she read obscure left wing theorists at 15 so she's just a weirdo.
Turn 84 (January 1st, 1973 - January 1st, 1974): The Coming Storm
Resources per Turn(RpY): Base 11450 -130 Rocketry -3920 Plan Commitments -70 Commitments Cost Increase = 7330 with 40 in storage
Semyonov's Purge:
In the aftermath of the nuclear crisis events proceeded rapidly with an emergency meeting of the Supreme Soviet called to determine fault for the entire incident and what is to be done to avoid similar instances of great power confrontation. The conclusion was incongruent in either respect with no practical results coming out of the process outside of starting the feud between Semyonov and Romanov as both effectively formed opposing power blocks. Intensive arguments focused on who was guilty were held in closed-door sessions with Klimenko sufficiently rattled to insist absolutely that no political comments are to be made and to "avoid doing anything stupid".
The results of what was to come came at first in the morning with an attempt by Semyonov to force a vote on a new Presidium composition with the effective retirement of Klimenko, Romanov, Obukhov, and Nikolaev sacking the majority of the body. Supreme Soviet voting at the moment entirely broke down with little progress made through an intensive day-long session as the lines were already drawn and the situation was rapidly developing. Romanov for his part trusted a loyal man to manage the situation, going to the Central Committee instead and organizing every one of his supporters that could be reached in Moscow to hold a confirmation vote while Klimenko was charged with ensuring the Supreme Soviet did not do anything.
Perfunctory voting on the Central Committee returned with the limited members managing to remove Semyonov as general secretary but failing to do anything else productive as the body was paralyzed on who would be the new General Secretary. The decision was communicated to Semyonov on the phone with him rushing to convene the Politburo as the party and state bodies both conflicted and could do little productive in the process. Immediate organization of the Politburo led to a perfunctory vote to re-organize the party along with a reappointment of Semyonov as General Secretary to navigate the crisis.
Formal discussions were held between Romanov and Semyonov the next day to navigate the new situation and determine what could be done to clear the impasse. After a tense morning where the negotiations went nowhere with Semyonov willing to reconvene the Supreme Soviet as Belik was given orders for the arrest of Romanov. The process of the arrest went about as well as it possibly could, with Romanov deciding to sit in the MVD building along with Obukhov to do something, even if little was practically organized. At this point, Klimenko came by and offered a last briefing of the likely soon-to-fall shitshow of the arrest and everything involved and went to negotiate with Semyonov.
Practical terms of what happened did not come quickly with an effective demotion of Romanov from the politburo along with a reassignment to the management of the Far Eastern Shipbuilding Industry. Obukhov and Nikolaev both were told to retire with both men being provided enough pensions to leave politics and never look back, removing them from the Presidium. Negotiations between Seymonov and Klimenko happened over the next few days, with Klimenko formally legitimizing Seymonov's new cabinet before peacefully retiring and formally supporting the advancement of his deputy over him.
New Ministers:
MNKh Minister: Vladimir Fedorovich Balakirev(1973): Pushed in as a compromise to ensure that Klimenko retired peacefully Balakirev was still the favored successor of the Supreme Soviet. Created in the same scheme as Voznesensky if from a radically different background, his views are broadly technocratic if more focused on aggressive development. Initially a consultant for the technical development of Sverdlovsk, Balakriev was able to leverage the post into a formal appointment as a full deputy with a significant effort spent on stabilizing a career. Most of his experience is still in the petrochemical sector, but this has broadened to general management in recent years. Balakirev has inherited an open political environment, but there are significant opportunities in the reactions to Seymonov's consolidation.
Young (8 Bureaucracy Dice)
Lacking a Patron (No Political Support/No Commited Dice)
Lacking a High Party Position
Inexperienced Politician (-10 to Bureaucracy Dice, +2 per Year)
Excellent Administrator (+10 to all non-Bureaucracy Dice)
Research Scientist
Chemical Engineer (+10 to rolls in the Chemical Industry)
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Ivan Aleksievich Mozgovoi(1973): Coming from a respectable career managing the development of agricultural production in Kherson and eventually managing development across the Ukrainian SSR. Politically he is an ally of Seymonov who has been advanced in the position of having more ties in the Supreme Soviet with a formal confirmatory vote pushed through to allow for the continuation of state power. Unambitious and ascetic he is a proven manager and more importantly for Seymonov the closest thing he has to a committed ally in the Supreme Soviet. His likely work will be primarily organizational and informal, replacing Romanov and effectively undermining the position.
Unambitious
Seymonov's Man
Lacking a High Party Position
Ascetic
Social Liberal
Subsidy Policy Proponent
Minister of the Interior: Vladimir Ignatievich Brovikov(1973): Something of a neutral candidate and what some may argue is a rushed candidate to replace Romanov, Brovikov is a party man in his entirety. Technically a journalist by trade he has most of a decade of intensive work in Belarusian party organs and was instrumental in several anti-corruption operations. This has led to his placement into the Ministry of Interior as a capable hand that Seymonov and everyone else can trust. He remains an idealist compared to several of those tasked with internal work leaving him very out of place for ministerial duties. Further, as someone young and directly connected to the investigations of the sixties it is unlikely that he will be able to tame the ministry, much less bring it to productive ends.
Belarusian Party Base
Politically Weak
Idealistic
Social Scientist
Propagandist
Anti-Corruption Investigator
Minister of State Security: Lev Sergeyevich Tolokinnikov(1973): Moving a replacement from military intelligence has been an unconventional choice but one that works with the current increase in confrontation and one that provides distance from the previous actions of the military. Tolokinnikov is a conventional intelligence expert who has served well on the primary axis of confrontation with the West rather than the colonial front, reducing the chance of a further flare-up. His loss from direct intelligence work will be felt but he is expected to moderately increase confrontation and focus more on infiltration work over blatant military-diplomatic work.
Anti-American
Head of Several Infiltration Programs
Block Preservation Focused
Ex-GRU
Exceptional Organizer
Personally Involved
Rocketry:
Technical work for the RLA modernization program has neatly confined it to a general-purpose upgrade that will not significantly disrupt production. Upgraded electronic systems are the largest difference with the avionics package changed for a purely integrated circuit-based one. Further improvements are expected to be made to the engines allowing for some stretching of the first stage without any further changes, increasing payload to orbit. If anything the largest change in capability is a new expanded 6m ultralight fairing, saving payload mass and utilizing the latest composite materials.
Significant development programs for a new generation of Mars rovers have proceeded according to plan with the design of a nuclear system prioritized for continuous operation. This system has been launched to an intercept trajectory by an RLA-3, taking advantage of the transfer window to approach Mars with the most capable mechanized surveying vehicle yet launched. Effectively a slow-moving lander with wheels and an independent power system, it is only a rover in technicality but it can still traverse significant areas of major craters. Landing is expected to occur next year with a complex packaging system developed along with breaking rockets to bring the re-entry casing to a soft stop on the ground. Significant dust plumes left by the rocket will then delay casing deployment for a few hours, but once clear the protected rover will be able to leave its landing site.
Achievements in the development of the FGB-VA have continued with a modified module demonstrating a two-month orbital stay while running several plant growth experiments in the rear bay. The first Indian cosmonaut has also flown on a further mission, orbiting the planet for two months and participating in the testing of one of the first spherical inflatable habitats for the long-term conquest of space. Current techniques are still insufficient but the data and improvements in solar panels maintain a promise of a permanent orbital presence and maybe in the future the exploration of other worlds. Current station programs are expected to launch next year with an extended FGB serving as a basis for a three-month orbital duration along with almost two dozen discrete experiments.
The launch of Galileo 1 and e proceeded without much issue as the high energy hydrogen transfer stags achieved the required trajectory for a Jupiter intercept. Flyby is expected late next year with the first pictures returned of Jupiter's icy and rocky moons. The radiation around the massive planet is expected to be mapped out as a precursor to the more advanced outer planets program. With the program currently moved to a lower state of readiness all focus has fallen on the outer planets probes with a similar architecture. If the Galilean craft manages to hold up to the hazardous environment a second wave is expected to be sent for scientific missions around the moons, providing a wealth of information.
Free dice to allocate 6 Dice.
Infrastructure: (11) 4 Dice
[]Western Passenger Rail Expansion: Severe inadequacies in the development of the Western transport network have historically been poorly addressed. The massive funding for developing the high-speed system has fixed some issues where available but it has introduced several further problems. This has compounded an increased demand for transportation services especially in cities just outside of the primary network. To address this a program of further development can finalize the Western system. (160 Resources per dice 110/150)
[]Far Eastern High Capacity Corridor: Road development has been inadequate historically and those in the Far East are the worst in the Union. Intensive programs for the immediate construction of a flanking road to accompany the primary trans-siberian corridor can be initiated to fix some of this lack as much of the industry is along a single route anyway. This will mostly serve to reduce the dependence on rail freight and allow for local enterprises to start being competitive. (125 Resources per Dice 0/175)
[]Western Local Roads(Stage 1/2): Even the worst organized commission can determine that the roads in smaller towns and towards enterprises are inadequate for any form of large-scale industrial development. Personal assessments are not much better with the commissions' report if anything deeply optimistic. Mud has been a consistent issue when attempting to travel by car significant distances and the quality of roads away from anything of political importance rapidly degrades. Plans to fix the issue will start with the unification of the road system on a two-lane inter-town standard with primary routes built around factories to link local production resources into the general grid. Such a plan will delay primary population-focused roads, but it is expected to improve overall industrial conditions. (125 Resources per Dice 0/350)
[]Urban Sewage Systems: Sewage transportation by truck is the predominant form of sewage management for much of the Union's land mass. Urban systems exist but capacity limitations have posed significant development concerns outside of Moscow with severe limits placed on what can be done. Current programs focus on the urban issue as trucks, while inefficient, are not a direct health hazard that current management practices are. An expanded and modified program can be undertaken for large-scale urban renewal, integrating processing systems and greatly expanding capacities. This will take time and balloon the program above old standards but it will provide room for the economic centers of the Union to grow. (180 Resources per Dice 16/500) (-34 CI4 Electricity)
[]Civilian Airports(Stage 4/5): The airport program needs to be re-directed to serve the ends of the people rather than chasing the high-minded goals of Moscow and Leningrad. For the majority of those living in Siberia or the Far East airports represent the only lifeline for goods, transportation, and services. Some service by helicopter has been used to keep towns functional but proper airports need to be constructed if the Northern towns have any hope of development. This shifts the focus towards establishing mixed cargo passenger airports with two-lane runways as a priority, allowing for the expansion of transport capacity and the steady retirement of helicopter transport. (125 Resources per Dice 21/200)
[]Academic Network: With the availability of computing hardware and the constant developments on the Erebus systems the possibility of a wider network cannot be discounted. Scientific communications between mainframes have already been demonstrated with messages sent between computers. Expanding this capacity across several central computing centers in major institutes and allowing the direct transmission of information is expected to strongly increase domestic scientific capabilities. Further, as the network would effectively only involve the development of further university datacenters any funding allocated will contribute to the development of local computing power as well. (300 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-16 CI4 Electricity)
Heavy Industry (16) 10 Dice
[]Secondary Metallurgical Complexes(Stage 1/2): Secondary steel can be salvaged to a large extent from the current steel economy. Despite strong export pressures, the domestic sector for steel utilization is strong and produces an excess of scrap steel. To meet domestic steel demand and minimize the need for reducing agents in production an expanded program for recycling steel can be started. Effective waste filtering has already been established and combustion processing inherently involves the separation of metal products. This will also yield some limited aluminum and copper, but those are secondary and far harder to filter from garbage streams. (220 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-61 CI8 Electricity -6 Steel -1 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor)
[]Donets Coal Basin Mechanization: The wasteful development of the most limited coal deposit in the Union is a mistake, if one that has a significant degree of historical weight. Seams in the region are narrow and problematic for extraction with depth only increasing rapidly as the deposit is increasingly tapped. The reality is that local coals will be depleted in a short time frame no matter what is done and current projects are only accelerating it. (175 Resources per Dice 61/125) (-17 CI2 Electricity -8 Coal -1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Kuzbas Deposit Exploitation(Stage 4/5): Current work at the Kuzbas deposit is of a mixed character with above and belowground efforts increasing in scope. The easy transportation of black coals West along with developed measures for processing brown coals has seen the deposit steadily become more economical. Extraction here is expected to come at a greater cost in labor compared to the larger Northern brown coal deposits, but the lower use of power and better grades of coal will reduce effective costs more. (120 Resources per Dice 8/200) (-48 CI6 Electricity -12 Coal +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Kansk-Achinsk Basin Exploitation(Stage 5/5): The future of coal power in the Union rests squarely on the shoulders of brown surface-level coals. Current deposits in Kansk-Achinsk represent almost thirty years of extraction capacity to power the whole Union, much less the current rate of extraction. Surface mining of lower-grade coals is dirtier than other coal industries, but energy demands are unlikely to slow, and if the oil crisis is to be navigated then coal must be decisively increased. (150 Resources per Dice 1/200) (-46 CI4 Electricity -10 Coal +1 General Labor)
[]Atomash(Stage 2/3): Nuclear power is the second front of increasing energy production across the Union and it needs to be expanded as rapidly as possible. If oil power is to play a secondary role then nuclear power must be available to take its place. Current facilities will be expanded in scope and capacity to meet further production targets if at a lower efficiency than coal plants. The lack of logistical issues in the transportation of fuel is expected to balance the program, stabilizing matters and ensuring the viability of a partially nuclear grid. (300 Resources per Dice 106/200) (-86 CI8 Electricity +2 Steel +1 Non-Ferrous +1 Educated Labor)
[]Kiev Machine Building Plant: If Klimenko's tenure as head has any concrete economic mistake it is the abject neglect of domestic machine-building industries. He responded by cutting funding and enabling market forces to sort out the sector in the aftermath of the Gorky collapse, undercutting domestic production and damaging domestic confidence. New electronic machinery represents a qualitative leap in capacity but for it to be widely implemented it must be widely produced. The Kiev plants themselves are expected to primarily focus on heavy industrial equipment outside precision industries. Any attempts to make mining equipment will be delegated out to other programs concentrating current efforts on the redevelopment of heavy industrial capacity. (280 Resources per Dice 0/250) (-68 CI10 Electricity +3 Steel +3 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor +2 Educated Labor) (Significant Cost Changes) (High Profitability)
[]Second Generation Lithography: Previous efforts have achieved acceptable lithographic yields on a 76mm wafer with an acceptable degree of technical issues but the technology can be pushed further. Funding the domestic development of a new generation of lithographic techniques can allow for the 6um barrier to be broken with a better foundation established for further size reductions. Current programs are expected to run in parallel, pushing for increasing wafer sizes while reducing the scale of features on the dies. The largest goal is to move towards an entirely new architecture that can scale better into improved lithography techniques and to fix the inefficiencies of the current generation of integrated circuits. (275 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-21 CI10 Electricity +1 Educated Labor)
[]Baltic Sea Shipyards: High-capacity container shipping is what the Union is most deficient in and the situation is not improving. River shipping can be built at any private yard to significant quantities much less in focused enterprises but the largest ships need dedicated labor. Massive expansions of yard space and capacity in the Baltic will start to overcome the deficiency. The region can receive thousands of high-paying jobs to compensate for local issues and provide for the Union. (200 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-46 CI4 Electricity +4 Steel +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Vladivostok Shipyards: The naval yards in the Far East have some of the cheapest labor and a significant market for merchant shipping between all CMEA members. Expanding the construction of large hulled container and tanker ships domestically will be essential to keep up with current American standards. If the Soviet merchant fleet is to be modernized it needs to be funded now and expanded now to compensate for deficiencies in block-wide production. An entirely new generation of ships will have to be built to break with old standards and the dogged obsolescence that has remained a major part of naval construction. (240 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-54 CI4 Electricity +5 Steel +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Volga Automotive Plant Modernization: Modernization of the Volga industries is necessary to keep up with global car markets and ensure that the domestic sector can continue to be developed. Luxury manufacturers do not inherently need the advantages offered by mass production as much as true mass manufacturers. The series of plants on the Volga directed by VAZ will be modernized and expanded, taking on more workers and further raising domestic car standards. There are still domestic automotive shortages and to fix them requires funding without taking distractions towards luxury vehicles. (250 Resources per Dice 0/175) (-74 CI3 Electricity +5 Steel +1 Petrochemicals +2 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
Rocketry (4) 2 Dice (Cannot Use Free Dice)
[]Cancel Project (10<Projects<15, -2 Dice) (130/130 R/y Funding Cap)
-RLA Modernization Program (-10 RpY) Finished 1975
-Mars Program (-10 RpY) Constant Program, Rover Focused
-Communication Satellites (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-Atmospheric Data Satellite Program (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-FGB-VA Crewed Exploration (-10 RpY) Constant Program
-Inflatable Station Experiments (-5 RpY)
-Station Program (-20 RpY) Launch 1974
-2nd Gen Luna Program (-20 RpY) Constant Program
-Outer Planets Program (-15 RpY) Active Phase finished 1979
-Galileo Program (-5 RpY) Active Phase finished 1973
-Mercury Program (-5 RpY)
-Nuclear Drive Program (-10 RpY) ??
[]Orbital Telescope Program: With the capacity of the RLA for heavier launches a larger orbital telescope system can be launched to upstage the Americans. The plan calls for the development and launch of a heavy UV band telescope system able to observe space with far greater precision than American attempts. The primary goal of the program will be the discovery and analysis of new stars, as the field has so far been limited to either light orbital telescopes or terrestrial systems. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Reusable Launchers: The initial MKAS program following the PKA was dismissed by Glushko as an impossible engineering nightmare but it can still be resumed for the sake of providing a lighter launch vehicle. Using long-burning hydrogen engines along with a reusable launcher attached to a drop tank will improve launch capacity and especially if paired with a carrier aircraft reduce costs. The technologies for the project itself are available today with the only issue being the degree of complicated engineering work. It is believed to be possible that some form of the MKAS concept could be launched in the decade allowing space to be opened to low-cost space launch. (-10 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Bulk Launch Methods: The rocket has historically been the only way that payloads and humans have gotten into space, but several other concepts deserve exploration. Everything from structural and design elevations on orbital cable elevators to rocket sleds must be considered. This program itself is only expected to be theoretical and focused on making designs for the possibility along with several small-scale models for scientific viability. Some plans have already been dismissed but investing in the future potential of orbit and easy delivery to space has always been a cornerstone of the program. (-5 RpY Expected) (1 Dice)
[]Expand Intercosmos: To give the political justification for the burning of money on ambitious if mostly irrelevant technical projects the intercosmos program can serve as something of a justification. Expanding it to fly as many payloads as CMEA can offer while further extending capacity towards the Chinese and Indian programs will be essential for improving ties and expanding Soviet influence. The launches from both powers are likely to be civilian with little novel scientific capacity but they will still allow for a greater politically viable budget. (Budget Expansion) (1 Dice)
[]Formalize Peaceful Competition: Despite American efforts towards the militarization of space with the declaration of a misguided defense program the Soviet space program needs to stay under civilian control. This will involve hard compromises with the military in that while military payloads will fly the program itself will stay separated. If the Americans put a weapon into space the matter can be tabled but until that point, there is no reason to divert funding and more importantly, control to the Ministry of Defense. (Exclusive with Expand the Military Section) (1 Dice)
[]Expand the Military Section: The reality that the Americans have been the first to start work on a comprehensive orbital defense system is not lost on any domestic planners. Instead of starting the new term off with a combative stance towards the military development funding can be combined for a series of programs. Several dual-purpose ones have already been proposed to expand terrestrial capacities and better to have some control than none. The army for its part promises a strong increase in funding as long as their projects receive an adequate prioritization. (Exclusive with Formalize Peaceful Competition) (Significant Budget Expansion) (1 Dice)
Light Industry (6) 6 Dice
[]Air Conditioner Plants(Stage 6/8): Air conditioning provides an essential factor towards quality of life in the massive number of unstable climates across the Union. Hot summers and cold winters are practically a universal feature of the climate and that needs to be tamed to accelerate settlement. Expanding the AC program further will be immensely popular as it is essential to start programs to ensure that Americans can be overtaken on general comfort. Local climate conditions strongly favor their employment and there is little reason not to increase their utilization until every apartment and home has at least a portable unit. (140 Resources per Dice 6/225) (-60 CI6 Electricity +2 Steel +2 Non-Ferrous +1 General Labor)
[]Light Home Appliance Plants: Domestic appliances have developed something of a reputation for being heavy, cheap, and something to constantly re-buy when breaking. Starting programs to further increase production and work outside of that niche will take time as the domestic industry is more suited towards mass production than quality. Some enterprises have of course done the latter but the majority of current stock is effectively disposable and cheap. Establishing another dozen enterprises exclusively focused on the higher-end sector can amend it and avoid stepping on any managerial toes. (160 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-42 CI5 Electricity +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Mixed Textile Industries(Stage 2/3): The greatest asset available to the Union has been its wealth of carbon resources but we cannot continue in that mode of production. Strengthening the further development of industrial chains towards finished products will improve domestic returns and strengthen local economies. Hundreds of smaller cities in the Union have a demand for low-skill manufacturing labor that has yet to be adequately met. Increasing the production of directly chemically derived fabrics and cloths from them will improve domestic self-reliance along with strongly increasing local turnover. (150 Resources per Dice 78/200) (-38 CI5 Electricity +3 Petrochemicals +3 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Expanded Paper Industries: Demand for paper goods has been mostly adequately met in the last decade as incentive funds have strongly improved production. Further funding efforts are still necessary to maintain low prices and stocks of all types of paper goods both for semi-permanent and immediate consumption. Increasing the scope of production will effectively copy over several luxury products that have remained the focus of the private sector and incorporate them into state circulation. Further, increasing the number of paper mills themselves will likely reduce commodity prices and allow for further development. (160 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-24 CI3 Electricity +1 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Expanded Furniture Industries: The next generation of salvaged wood furnishings has already started spreading across the West and the Union. Taking advantage of the craze to lower prices a further number of manufacturers can be set up to take advantage of the new segment. Most of these will be tied to current generations of manufacturing and lumber mills, ensuring that wood products can be adequately and efficiently utilized. The over-production of composite wood also offers an alternative to traditional hardwoods, significantly lowering prices without much degradation in quality. (150 Resources per Dice 0/100) (-20 CI3 Electricity +1 Petrochemicals +1 General Labor) (High Profitability)
[]Color Television Modernization: Despite Malenkov's efforts the Union failed to be an early adopter of color television as the man could not overcome market forces. Now broadcasting in color has developed to a more advanced level with most shows capable of broadcasting entirely in color. The presence of color television sets in the population is still inadequate but that can be fixed. Offering additional funds to consumer goods industries to accelerate their conversion can directly aid in production and bring the Union entirely to a new standard for broadcasting. (180 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-52 CI6 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Second Generation Calculators: Tabletop calculators alone represent a massive improvement in tabulation capacity that has been practically unheard of. By moving towards portable units with more advanced batteries the program can be further expanded, providing engineers in the field with the ability for quick efficient calculation. These are practically expected to become the main use-case for smaller units of integrated circuits with even current designs adequate for the creation of single chip units attached to a supporting PCB. (200 Resources per Dice 79/100) (-22 CI2 Electricity +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Chemical Industry (12) 11 Dice
[]West Siberian Petroleum Fields(Stage 3/6): Current developments of the West Siberian fields are partially focused on modernization and partially focused on expansion. There is a massive quantity of oil in place but so far exploitation has focused on the easiest-to-reach deposits. As new domestic techniques and technologies are pioneered they can be applied directly to the field, improving recovery of previously considered depleted wells. This will not stop the depletion crisis facing the Union but it might slow down the drop in production without ministry investment. (150 Resources per Dice 54/150) (-40 CI6 Electricity -7 Petroleum Fuels -2 Petroleum Gas +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Volga-Ural Petroleum Modernization: Expanding the remit of the Volga-Ural program has been essential to increasing the yields of gas products that are expected to underpin the entire economy shortly. Wells that have previously focused on the enhanced extraction of petroleum can be tapped for gas all while inefficient flaring practices are eliminated to improve efficiency. This will take more funding than previously planned for the project along with expanded electricity use for the established towns and expanded machinery but it should serve to delay oil depletion. (180 Resources per Dice 0/200) (-52 CI6 Electricity -8 Petroleum Fuels -6 Petroleum Gas +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Plastic Industries(Stage 4/5): Plastic is practically the defining element of the socialist transition and one that promises to break domestic reliance on imported cotton faster than any ambitious hydrological program. Strong increases in plastic production have been historically insufficient to meet the entirety of demand and the industry needs to aggressively expand to the point that the Union can overcome the stupor of the agricultural past. New horizons of materials can be developed in the future but current demands for basic polyethylene and polypropylene still need to be met. (200 Resources per Dice 11/250) (-56 CI5 Electricity +1 Petroleum Fuels +2 Petroleum Gas -6 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Intensive Cracking Infrastructure(Stage 1/2): Under-refined heavy petroleum products have remained viable products for refinement if with a requirement for improved infrastructure to process. This has resulted in the majority of production being burned to recover some use out of heavier fractions outside navalized uses. By constructing dedicated facilities for its processing a significant fraction of the heavy fuel oil can be converted directly to more useable fractions. These plants also open a route towards the processing of imported heavy oil, but that will be more of a diplomatic than a technical project. (240 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-40 CI3 Electricity -6 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability) (Stage 2 Locked until 1976)
[]Power Plants(CCGT): Current turbine manufacturing capacity is sufficient for a strong increase in electricity production. The development of further gas systems will go a long way towards improving the energy sector and reducing any reliance on conventional oil. Coal production is likely to become more limited in the future with natural gas remaining the one power source capable of currently powering Soviet Industry. Plans call for the establishment of several plants to increase yields, providing a stable base for further grid-scale deployment of gas power. (240 Resources per Dice 0/150) (+120 Electricity +5 Petroleum Gas)
[]Stabilization of Agrochemicals: The demand for chemical enhancement of agriculture has remained a constant drive for the last twenty years but some of that effort has become wasteful. Fertilizer overuse is a chronic symptom of over-abundance along with a lack of education. Current programs have been redirected towards improved pesticides and herbicides for the minimization of labor and the final break with nature for the good of the worker. Current expansions will proceed as already funded but the program itself will target an adequate production of Atrazine to tame weeds and enough Methyl Parathion to decisively eliminate the insect problem. (200 Resources per Dice 107/200) (-58 CI5 Electricity +2 Petroleum Gas +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Synthetic Rubber Plants(Stage 4/4): Expanded production of rubber serves to reduce domestic reliance on imports and improve the production of domestic vehicles. Current programs have rapidly expanded the industry but far more development is necessary to fully localize the supply chains involved. A further establishment of new enterprises focused on the conversion of oil and gas products to rubber will salvage value from domestic resources and expand usable production. The current program is likely to still be inadequate compared to the theoretical demands of the automotive industry but it will be a good start. (180 Resources per Dice 2/150) (-32 CI3 Electricity -4 Petrochemicals +1 Educated Labor) (High Profitability)
Agriculture (6) 4 Dice
[]Domestic Meat Programs(Stage 4/10): Continued large-scale imports of meat products degrade the ability of local producers to stay competitive and have so far forced a significant negative balance of goods. Imports from CMEA nations along with the South American states have degraded domestic production and under-served the population. Adopting a more aggressive program of modernization will task the currently useless tide of grain towards more productive aid, using chemically enhanced feed to improve packaging efficiencies. Soviet Chicken production will be the first target, as an adequate yield will stabilize the domestic situation. (120 Resources per Dice 12/200) (-26 CI1 Electricity +2 General Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Local Meat Production Grants: A portion of meat production comes from smaller farms of under ten hectares that are established on more marginal lands. These farms originally grew conventional feed crops but have struggled to convert as the hydrological environment has shifted, leaving few options but to expand land under grazing. By providing funding for these conversions along with some improvements in general agricultural policy meat production can be improved without significant losses to primary yields. Further, much of the beef produced through grazing methods is a higher grade than conventional mass production, improving qualitative standards in the industry. (150 Resources per Dice 0/150) (High Profitability)
[]Vegetable Production Modernization: Grain production has kept the Union fed and provided a steady supply of agricultural products to a rapidly growing population but it is inadequate to avoid significant imports of other food products. Current working programs will focus on the improvement of vegetable and fruit cultivation in the parched areas of the Southern Virgin Lands. These crops have comparatively minimal water load to avoid excessive regional stress before larger diversion projects and can continue to yield viable produce. Local low-cost labor and water efficiency improvements can take the program a step further, starting the long process of greening the republics where it is most needed. (100 Resources per Dice 0/250) (High Profitability)
[]Development of the Middle Volga: Irrigation in the great bend of the Volga has historically been inconsistent and problematic but with the additional flow of water south significant improvements can be made. Direct control of water levels up north is expected to stabilize agricultural yields and eliminate any dry years in the basin, improving Soviet agriculture. Current efforts will focus on the increasing allocation of water and the use of more intensive irrigation allowing a final decisive separation from the climate issues that have historically plagued local agriculture. (120 Resources per Dice 0/200) (High Profitability)
[]Development of the Southern Volga: The parched steppe to the South of Stalingrad has historically been marginally developed despite the favorable climate leaving useless wetlands in the far south along with a narrow green band. Diverting local water resources to local terrain would open new prime agricultural land, taking advantage of more consistent river flows to improve the production of several specialty goods. Regional development of water resources is expected to start the transformation of the region, allowing a strong increase in local production along with a general increase in fruit production. (120 Resources per Dice 0/150) (High Profitability)
Services (10) 3 Dice
[]Transportation Enterprises(Stage 4/5): Road transport will play an ever-increasing role in the development of the Union. Previous ignorance of trucks has led to a reduced growth profile and several logistical issues that gutted small towns through an ironclad dependence on railways. Programs for the further expansion of the truck fleet will finally entirely come from domestic production as enterprises are expanded to the point that the Union is integrated. (180 Resources per Dice 38/225) (+4 Petroleum Fuels +3 General Labor) (Stage 5 Locked Until Western Local Roads Completes) (Very High Profitability)
[]Expanding Preparation Schools: Inadequacies of education continue especially for those without access to higher quality primary education as they are set up to fail from the start. Amending this is bluntly incongruous with reality but programs to salvage the most determined students can be started now. Students who are willing to take their summers and fill them with courses of intensive study and the parents willing to support them should have the option to do so. Almost a hundred dedicated summer schools can be set up to test the effect in unused school buildings, allowing those willing and able to reach for higher education to grasp it. (100 Resources per Dice 0/150) (-8 CI2 Electricity +2 Educated Labor)
[]Urban Beautification Programs: Urban development programs have logically proceeded from the drive towards efficiency more than they have for standards of aesthetics. For all the designs that have prioritized constant balcony access and the number of amenities available they have not prioritized aesthetics. The development of large public spaces and parks can be started across several urban areas to enhance the available recreation space outside of standard micro-district layouts. This will come at some cost in old housing stocks but current development programs are adequate to compensate for the loss of obsolescent wartime-era housing. (100 Resources per Dice 0/200)
[]Development of Population Services(Stage 1/3): The rural workers have considerably been ignored by any development in general services and practically left in the dust outside a small set of tepid handouts. This needs to be overhauled and amended to bring the countryside into some sense of modernity. The lower density in the countryside cannot be fixed at any rapid pace and will inform conditions but that does not mean that daily bus routes cannot be established or even some basic service officers. The program itself is large and ambitious but it represents something of a first step towards equalizing town and country. (120 Resources per Dice 0/250) (-15 CI2 Electricity +2 General Labor +1 Educated Labor)
[]Town-Market Construction: The smallest towns have no access to services that would otherwise be available to larger and more developed areas. This can be amended through direct funding programs for basic state enterprises to spread out. A standard branch selling food and one selling more generalized goods can provide for an entire town and stabilize local food situations like little else. These would need some financial prompting but the entire project can be done through financial services rather than direct involvement, simplifying several program aspects. (150 Resources per Dice 0/100) (+2 General Labor) (High Profitability)
Bureaucracy 8 Dice
[]Dedicate Focus Towards a Project(): (1 Bureau Dice for +5 per dice on a project, +15 in Chemical Industry) (Unrolled)
[]Comprehensive Ecological Assessments: The Supreme Soviet is going to generate an ecological assessment that comes down harshly on several enterprises and more importantly limits industrial production in critical areas. Some reforms are going to be necessary but there is no reason to disrupt the system too much. By forming an independent commission on the matter and advocating for moderate pragmatic reforms a large portion of the reform effort can either be defanged or pushed through over managerial objections consolidating the petrochemical industry. (1 Dice)
[]Rationalizing Domestic Patent Systems: Automatic licensing requirements have been something of a negative for the storage of foreign patents in the USSR. Reforming away from that would be a step too far, but altering the rules to allow for independent negotiation while grandfathering the currently used enterprises into the system can serve to offer a compromise option. (1 Dice)
[]Free Enterprise Licensing: The licensing of foreign patents has been a mess of commissions and problems with enterprises generally struggling to adapt practically free technological innovations. Officially allowing enterprises to use external patents on their initiative and independently negotiate will lead to a slight increase in technical patent theft. Still, it will accelerate the development of a local technical base. Further, these enterprises can become indebted to the ministry for protecting them once someone decides to try to enforce patent law. (1 Dice)
[]Agricultural Land Reassessment: Going out into the countryside and determining the exact value of the land available has not been done at scale since the immediate post-war plans. Local assessments exist of course but a comprehensive Union-wide one does not. Taking the steps to amend it will not be that much of an allocation and it can be used to proverbially wave the flag for rural party interests. (1 Dice)
[]Expand Town Classification Codes: The tiers of cities and the distinctions between types of towns are an obsolete system that is a holdover from the limited mobility of peasants. Now that the situation has changed small towns and agricultural areas can move to a more district-based model, allowing for party and state leadership to be consolidated. The program is comparatively popular amongst rural interests and will allow for far better representation without too many complaints. (1 Dice)
[]Drive Through Euro Adoption: The Euro needs to be entirely adopted and issued before the end of the decade if the economy is not to be even further overtaken. The Americans are likely to shift towards a confrontational policy and CMEA needs to be reinforced and developed to a point that dollars can be shunted aside. If the American currency dominance can be reduced to an extent a massive amount of the planet can be locked away from direct exploitation with in-block trade balances improved. (1 Dice)
[]CMEA Good Prioritization: Cheap goods made by our Socialist allies are a key element of industrialization and there is little reason not to prefer them. Current policies in CMEA trade have technically allowed cross-national purchases but they are still limited due to obsolete Mikoyan era legislation. Fully opening the domestic market will be a decisive step but any enterprise should be able to directly buy from any enterprise in the CMEA. Development will stem from the increase in material production and a decrease in prices with all other factors secondary. (1 Dice)
[]Housing Sector Reform: Current housing programs are working to maintain housing stocks but the massive risk of the Mikoyan era housing decaying has remained a national concern. The homes themselves have held up better than expected but they need to be replaced at an accelerated time frame. Improved apartment models have already been sufficiently developed to reduce costs per unit with current plans simply needing modification. This will commit the Union to the largest housing program in history but in a decade the communal housing form and wartime emergency housing can be left in the past. (1 Dice)
[]Continued Chemicalization Drives: Domestic chemicals must power domestic industries, the Union has massive potential for a world-class chemical industry that is under-realized. Direct subsidy programs to localize the production of most chemical feedstocks along with a more aggressive funding program can be started to achieve total chemical independence. The chemical economy is the economy of the future and only through strengthening the chemical industry can socialism keep up with capitalist development. (1 Dice)
[]Advance an Ecological Program: To accelerate the development of the Soviet State the limits on production must be broken and decisively so. Inadequacies of water supplies have plagued agriculture but that can be disciplined and decisively so. Inadequacies of nutrients have continued to reduce yields and that has been further overcome. By committing entirely to a program focused on ensuring that nature can be tamed for the worker, several radical projects can be advanced for the final transition away from depending on its fickle winds. (1 Dice)
[]Clarify the River Reversal: Party members across the Central Asian republics have continuously championed the cause of river reversal to revive the parched steppe and to solve the coming agricultural crisis. Getting together a block of concerned representatives and party functionaries now will smooth the path toward the adoption of the total plan for river reversal, ensuring that it will be approved and encouraged. There will be some opposition from those from the Urals, but that will be comparatively minor given the rest of the Supreme Soviet. (1 Dice)
[]Assess the Supreme Soviet: With the fall of Romanov and the disintegration of the conservative flank, talking with several of the sectional leads will be essential. The men are all listed in Klimenko's journals and notes, ensuring that they can at least be contacted for a few dinners to discuss matters. Most are not going to be willing to work together but they can at least provide a far more accurate picture of the situation in the Supreme Soviet than the talking heads on the news. (1 Dice)
[]Locate a Patron: Talks on the conservative end along with the rightists will be needed if an alliance is to be made. Working with Podgorny is likely to require compromises in the economic sphere while Seymonov may take the entire ministry in negotiations to get him onside. Forming a partially independent block worked for Klimenko and Romanov and it needs to work now. Further, with the disintegration of the conservatives, the best time to strike is now as many of the old cadre technocrats can be rallied in the Supreme Soviet. (1-2 Dice)
[]Reach Out to Podgorny: Podgorny is technically to the right of the party on economic matters but he has been proven right in the social sphere and in the foreign policy sphere. Reaching out to him may require some compromises but the man isn't expected to stand for election in a few years, nominating a chosen protege. A straight trade of mutual support and support for his successor can keep things stable and offer him a viable path forward without too many issues for the ministry. (1-3 Dice)
[]Alliance with Seymonov: Semyonov is the current titan of politics, successfully consolidating the positions of general secretary to a point not seen since Mikoyan appointed Voroshilov. This position is obviously unstable and obviously not going to last but better to work with the titan at the moment of ascension and then later collect a proverbial pound of flesh. Current work is likely going to narrow the role of the ministry itself and will involve several painful internal compromises that may not be borne by the current managerial base. (1-3 Dice)
[]Reconnect with the Technocrats: Voznesensky was a spiteful bastard who had more spite than intelligence despite his advanced degree but the ministry was at its effective zenith. Working with several of Klimenko's lists of connections and communicating with the enterprise leaders frankly and comprehensively something of a comprehensive deal can be worked out. The Supreme Soviet has a vast gulf in power and instead of surrendering the initiative to a new conservative faction a new stage of consolidation can be initiated to become a power independent of petty interdepartmental politics. (1-4 Dice)
Current Economic Prices(Domestic/CMEA/International): (How this will work is that every action above except for electricity modifies the internal price of the commodities below. They also vary on their own and are sorted into abstracted 1-100 ranges. Modifiers from the rest of your economy are displayed below with each category of goods. When you shift between 20-sized ranges, there can be significant modifiers to the general economy that come from changing prices of core commodities. CMEA prices determine the price in CMEA, though transportation of goods will be a problem with international prices representative of the West.)
Coal Price (46/38/62) Strong Import (41-60 No Effect)
+9 CPSC Power Plants
+2 Fuel Oil Conversions
+2 Western Deposit Depletion
-1 Nuclear Power (1970-1974)
-0 Net Civilian Spending
Steel: (31/39/62) Massive Export (21-40 -20 RpD Infrastructure, Increased HI Growth)
+1 Construction Industry Expansions
+2 Net Civilian Spending
Non-Ferrous: (52/56/48) (41-60 No Effect)
-3 Hydroelectric Cascades(Until 1974)
+2 Net Civilian Spending
Petroleum Fuels: (35/37/35) (OPEC CMEA Imports) (21-40 Strong Increase in Economic Growth, Fuel Use, and Chemical Development)
+7 Net Civilian Spending
+3 Fields Depletion
-2 Field Modernization
Petroleum Gas: (30/NaN/NaN) (Significant Movement Impossible) (21-40 Prefered Domestic Heating Fuel, Expansion of Use)
+3 Net Civilian Spending
-2 Field Modernization
Petrochemicals: (38/44/41) Moderate Export (21-40 Massive Demand Increase, LI Growth Increase, Mild CI Growth Increase, and Strong Plastic Use Increase)
+6 Net Civilian Spending
General Labor: (44/25/71) (41-50 Slight Increase to Domestic Demand +10 RpD Universal)
+7 Net Civilian Spending
-17 New Graduates
-1 Rural Transfers
-2 Immigration
Educated Labor: (56/39/79) Moderate Imports (51-60 Slight Increase to Domestic Demand, Mild Reduction to Domestic Competitiveness, Project Cost Increases)
+3 Net Civilian Spending
-8 New Graduates
-2 Immigration
Electricity: 71 CI 18
+631 Plan Programs
-300 CI20 Net Civilian Spending
Housing Construction Efforts: Expanding the pace of the housing program to ensure that the new generation can receive up-to-date housing along with improving the general state of housing is considered something of a priority. A full-scale decisive program is not required in that as an investment housing can be comparatively deprioritized compared to economic gains, but it can still be made better. Continued financial efforts will allow for the acceleration of construction to meet the demands of the rising population with a strong increase in per-family rooms along with a reduction in the age of construction. (-5 Infra Dice -480 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (Reduction in Communal and Barracks Housing Forms to 8% of the adult non-student population by 1970) (Stage 5 Air Conditioning required by 1973)
Rail Electrification: Massive savings in the operation of electric locomotives have already shown themselves as grid stability has improved but the technology is still new and untested at scale. Focusing programs towards the electrification of cargo rails along the trans-siberian and working on ensuring that the primary corridors for bulk freight are electrified will provide the largest returns for the least investment. The current plan effectively calls for main cargo lines to the east to be electrified with a line from Moscow to Leningrad and Rostov joining the campaign to ease the transport of goods. (-1 Infra Dice 140 RpY) (Estimated 60 RpY Return)
Amu Darya and Syr Danya Hydroelectric Cascades: Politically contentious with the local people though pushed for hydrological stabilization by engineers and politicians at all levels, authorizing development is expected to significantly increase water accessibility and local energy generation. The program towards constructing new dams and enhancing the industrial development of the Central Asian republics is expected to fix water availability issues and provide a cheap basis for hydroelectricity that has been ignored by past administrations. Relocations will involve several sizable towns being moved to allow for the path of the dams and a minor cutback in the scale of the project. Despite that though, the developing water situation is only expected to worsen in the next few years, requiring redirection and ensuring that nature is finally directed towards humanist ends. (+60 Electricity -3 Non-Ferrous per Year until 1974)
Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk Hydroelectric Zone: With lagging iron mining and the lack of development across the Union, building a new high-potential electrical and industrial zone to augment the general plan can be a major asset. The Bakchar deposit represents some of the largest reserves of iron ore available to the Union and its development will enable a further increase in conventional industry and steel production. The zone itself is mostly swampy and poorly inhabited, limiting the costs of relocating people and ensuring that development can proceed without issue. Some local aluminum plants in both Omsk and Irkutsk are expected to be founded, ensuring that power supplies are available and ensuring that the Union can keep up with the West in the production of Aluminum. (-3 Infra Dice -300 RpY Modified by Steel Prices) (+60 Electricity -3 Non-Ferrous per Year 1974-1979) (Three -10 Steel Steel mills available 1974)
Power Plant Construction(Nuclear VVER-500): With the finalization of the construction program for the initial VVER-500 cores over twenty reactors have been constructed or are in construction. These have steadily taken on the role of grid heating along with providing significant amounts of urban power, rapidly solving energy issues. Fuel production for the cores has been developed near sites of intensive uranium production allowing a constant influx of power. The modernization of more general heating systems along with the number of cores has each of the sites serving as an effective training area for the reactor operators of the future. (-1 HI Dice -300 RpY) (36 Electricity -1 Coal per Year until 1974)
Power Plant Construction(Nuclear Systems): Expanding the throughput of conventional cores to a massive point with supporting infrastructure prepared in advance for next-generation reactors will take a massive amount of funding. The primary program will focus on the development of twenty VVER-500 crores to replace old-style combined cycle heating and generate further power in remote areas to minimize coal haulage. Two new liquid metal-cooled fast reactors will be constructed along with a set of four experimental VVER-1000 cores. Further centralized facilities for the processing of nuclear fuel and the storage of waste will be developed to minimize the burden on current temporary systems of storage. (-2 HI Dice -640 RpY) (64 Electricity -2 Coal per Year 1975-1979)
Power Plant Construction(CPSC): Coal represents one of the largest energy resources that are available to the Union and one that needs to be tapped at a large scale. Work towards implementing new techniques and new coal fields will be accompanied by improved logistics to procure increased quantities of coal in the West. The current programs will accompany an aggressive expansion of mining and the technical development of Siberia significantly increasing the scale of electricity programs. Current ideas for coal alone cannot provide the power demand for the Union but expanding capacity now will provide a stable basis for the future. (-3 HI Dice -860 RpY) (360 Electricity +9 Coal per Year)
Power Plant Construction(CCGT): Expanding work on the turbine program with a new series of plants taking advantage of improved techniques along with continued development of larger combined processes can yield significant improvements. The gas program that will accompany the development of new oil fields is expected to be massive and rather than wasting any of that gas, it can be sent directly to more productive ends. The current initiative focuses on improving production as much as it focuses on expanding the program, ensuring that the next generation of turbines can optimally use the power available. (-1 HI and CI Dice -600 RpY) (175 Electricity per Year) (Natural Gas Cost Paid Off)
Healthcare Expansion: There is a moderate-scale problem in the medical sector that doctors' and nurses' wages have been stagnant and failing to keep up with the times. This has discouraged the graduation of new doctors and significantly weakened the competitiveness of the sector. In addition to massive programs for improving the production of equipment the first of a series of healthcare wage increases can be undertaken to improve conditions in the field. The program will also be accompanied by the hiring of several experts for teaching positions, transferring expertise from already successful testing and scanning programs along forming a basis for the utilization of new techniques. (-3 Services Dice -500 RpY) (Completes Urban Hospital Modernization, Medical Laboratory System, Rural Hospital Modernization, and Skilled Doctor Programs)
Education Expansion: Accompanying a massive expansion of the University system programs can be started towards directly improving education. Universities can continue to expand both social and materials science departments with an allocation of government funding. Further to ensure that students who are performing well in education stay in it an expanded system of stipends can be implemented. While almost certainly insufficient for luxurious living, life in communal housing and access to a reasonable quantity of food will be guaranteed along with ensuring that any educational materials are provided and modern. Several new experimental schools will also be established to test the implementation of a longer primary school curriculum and several alternative structures of education. (-4 Services Dice -400 RpY) (Completes Stage 9 Polytechnic, Stage 8 Sociological, Experimental Schools, Expanding University Stipends, and Student Living Improvements) (Cuts Workforce Expansion by ~1/6)
Briefing on the New Members of the Soviet Government
Ah, Minister Balakirev, welcome back! In light of General-Secretary Semyonov reorganizing the government and forcing the retirement of several notable figures, we have taken it upon ourselves to compile brief dossiers on the newly installed replacements. Excluding yourself, three new faces have joined us:
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Ivan Alekseevich Mozgovoi
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Ivan Aleksievich Mozgovoi(1973): Coming from a respectable career managing the development of agricultural production in Kherson and eventually managing development across the Ukrainian SSR. Politically he is an ally of Seymonov who has been advanced in the position of having more ties in the Supreme Soviet with a formal confirmatory vote pushed through to allow for the continuation of state power. Unambitious and ascetic he is a proven manager and more importantly for Seymonov the closest thing he has to a committed ally in the Supreme Soviet. His likely work will be primarily organizational and informal, replacing Romanov and effectively undermining the position.
- Sources: Russian Wikipedia, knowbysight, article about his burial
- Additional Notes: He has an extensive agri background (including an agronomy degree) and in an alternate universe might have ended up as one of our agri ministers. Not much else to say though, he's basically just Semyonov's loyal minion as far as I can tell.
Minister of the Interior: Vladimir Ignatievich Brovikov
Minister of the Interior: Vladimir Ignatievich Brovikov(1973): Something of a neutral candidate and what some may argue is a rushed candidate to replace Romanov, Brovikov is a party man in his entirety. Technically a journalist by trade he has most of a decade of intensive work in Belarusian party organs and was instrumental in several anti-corruption operations. This has led to his placement into the Ministry of Interior as a capable hand that Seymonov and everyone else can trust. He remains an idealist compared to several of those tasked with internal work leaving him very out of place for ministerial duties. Further, as someone young and directly connected to the investigations of the sixties it is unlikely that he will be able to tame the ministry, much less bring it to productive ends.
- Sources: Russian Wikipedia, WW2 GPW memorial website
- Additional Notes: He apparently participated in partisan activities during WW2, stealing weapons from the Germans and hiding them in his house or in the forest (this was when he was like 10 years old btw), so evidence suggests that he's pretty hardcore. His Ph.D. thesis was about "Some theoretical problems of political agitation" according to Google Translate (the original title is Некоторые теоретические проблемы политической агитации), and he worked as a journalist/editor for several local and regional newspapers (including a stint right out of university as "head of the agricultural department of the city newspaper 'Leninski Pryzyu'"). As per the Discord quote above, he's fulfilling a similar role for Semyonov as Klimenko did for Abramov, complete with the same expectation of retiring after a brief career. Of course, given the precedent Klimenko set for young and inexperienced sociologists from the upper Dnieper tasked with cleaning up a ministry after the previous minister got ousted in a political struggle with poor prospects for their own political survival, I expect that by next plan we will be welcoming General-Secretary Brovikov lol (who going by the same precedent will then flame out gloriously by idk personally shooting Ashbrook during a meeting or something). OTL he died in 1992 from brain cancer.
Minister of State Security: Lev Sergeyevich Tolokonnikov
Minister of State Security: Lev Sergeyevich Tolokinnikov(1973): Moving a replacement from military intelligence has been an unconventional choice but one that works with the current increase in confrontation and one that provides distance from the previous actions of the military. Tolokinnikov is a conventional intelligence expert who has served well on the primary axis of confrontation with the West rather than the colonial front, reducing the chance of a further flare-up. His loss from direct intelligence work will be felt but he is expected to moderately increase confrontation and focus more on infiltration work over blatant military-diplomatic work.
- Sources: Russian Wikipedia, Soviet intelligence agencies history website, Rybinsk Gazette, article about his family
- Additional Notes: A review of his OTL history suggests that he's a highly competent and effective intelligence officer, although a lot of his work was done in person which is obviously not really practical for the head of the MGB. Nonetheless, we should expect him to generally know what he's doing, with the main concerns being him dying in a plane accident (solution: build more airports?) or dropping dead from whatever killed him in 1976 OTL (I have zero idea what the cause of death was, I checked a bunch of sources but none of them actually included that detail, so solution: invest more in the health system I guess?). An additional fun fact is that his family were apparently notable capitalists before the revolution, who among other things owned significant portions of the Russian textiles industry and founded the ZIL car factory.
We hope that this information will be of use to you, comrade Minister, and we wish you the best of luck with your new duties.
Allying with Semyonov is a very, very dangerous path to take. The man has absolute power, more power than anyone since Stalin I think, and owes us nothing. He wants to do workers right reforms and Balakirev is in his way as the overall leader of management. Unless Balakirev gets a power base of his own or another faction's backing, Semyonov could cut up the MNKh and use us to push his personal agenda with no opposition.
A safer bet would be to revive the Technocratic faction that's been adrift since Voznesensky got ousted. They have no backer now that Romanov got demoted, and the leader of the MNKh would be a strong rallying point for them.
Podgorny is a good option as well. He's on shaky grounds given his impending retirement, so we'd be able to get good concessions from him with regard to economic policy in return for backing his social policies.
So who do we want to align ourselves with politically? Coming to some understanding with Seymonov seems critical, given his currently dominant position. And I almost want to try to ally with Podgorny, given he's moderated his economic views and would presumably help open up the party to more mass participation.
Practical terms of what happened did not come quickly with an effective demotion of Romanov from the politburo along with a reassignment to the management of the Far Eastern Shipbuilding Industry. Obukhov and Nikolaev both were told to retire with both men being provided enough pensions to leave politics and never look back, removing them from the Presidium. Negotiations between Seymonov and Klimenko happened over the next few days, with Klimenko formally legitimizing Seymonov's new cabinet before peacefully retiring and formally supporting the advancement of his deputy over him.
A thing to note about Balakirev is that he has opinions about the Agricultural Sector thanks to his background being a peasant and thinks the head of Agriculture is dumb. And he may be the first minister that is committed to being Pro-Rurals, thanks in no small part to him growing up in the Rural Far East.
Some of his ideas regarding reforming the Agricultural Sector include giving the Agri-workers a decent wage, which is going to cause issues. If my understanding of the discord discussion is correct.
Balakirev is from a tiny little mud farming village in the ass end of nowhere way out east, so yeah he's got a personal bugbear about rural living conditions and agricultural working conditions. Nothing too crazy right now, but if he gets a few years to settle in then he'll probably want to start doing things like "improve rural living conditions" and "stop using immigrant labor to undercut domestic farmhand wages" yeah. We can already see this starting with the Services project to extend white collar services to the rurals suddenly becoming a big 3 stage project that consumes far more effort and personnel rather than Klimenko's much smaller 1 stage version. Which would probably be pretty good for the millions of actual human beings living in our rural areas, but having to actually pay their workers and respect labor laws will probably not be good for our already razor-thin profit margins in agriculture...
In American news it seems we might actually see a version of the Star Wars program that never got off the ground since the military is in charge of the space program.
Besides that:
[]Advance an Ecological Program: To accelerate the development of the Soviet State the limits on production must be broken and decisively so. Inadequacies of water supplies have plagued agriculture but that can be disciplined and decisively so. Inadequacies of nutrients have continued to reduce yields and that has been further overcome. By committing entirely to a program focused on ensuring that nature can be tamed for the worker, several radical projects can be advanced for the final transition away from depending on its fickle winds. (1 Dice)
Lets do this one and go full diesel punk and show nature who is boss.
[]Stabilization of Agrochemicals: The demand for chemical enhancement of agriculture has remained a constant drive for the last twenty years but some of that effort has become wasteful. Fertilizer overuse is a chronic symptom of over-abundance along with a lack of education. Current programs have been redirected towards improved pesticides and herbicides for the minimization of labor and the final break with nature for the good of the worker. Current expansions will proceed as already funded but the program itself will target an adequate production of Atrazine to tame weeds and enough Methyl Parathion to decisively eliminate the insect problem. (200 Resources per Dice 107/200) (-58 CI5 Electricity +2 Petroleum Gas +1 General Labor +1 Educated Labor) (Very High Profitability)
[]Comprehensive Ecological Assessments: The Supreme Soviet is going to generate an ecological assessment that comes down harshly on several enterprises and more importantly limits industrial production in critical areas. Some reforms are going to be necessary but there is no reason to disrupt the system too much. By forming an independent commission on the matter and advocating for moderate pragmatic reforms a large portion of the reform effort can either be defanged or pushed through over managerial objections consolidating the petrochemical industry. (1 Dice)
[]Advance an Ecological Program: To accelerate the development of the Soviet State the limits on production must be broken and decisively so. Inadequacies of water supplies have plagued agriculture but that can be disciplined and decisively so. Inadequacies of nutrients have continued to reduce yields and that has been further overcome. By committing entirely to a program focused on ensuring that nature can be tamed for the worker, several radical projects can be advanced for the final transition away from depending on its fickle winds. (1 Dice)
[]Clarify the River Reversal: Party members across the Central Asian republics have continuously championed the cause of river reversal to revive the parched steppe and to solve the coming agricultural crisis. Getting together a block of concerned representatives and party functionaries now will smooth the path toward the adoption of the total plan for river reversal, ensuring that it will be approved and encouraged. There will be some opposition from those from the Urals, but that will be comparatively minor given the rest of the Supreme Soviet. (1 Dice)
Oh boy, our new minister has some Ideas about agriculture and the environment. It's going to be fun trying to reign in these particular brain worms. At least he views the rurals as people.
As for more immediately pressing matters, our minister is going to need to find a patron if he wants to stick around longer than a plan. I think the technocrats are a good bet. Maybe reach out to Seymonov as well? I'd like for our guy to at least reach an understanding with the new big player in politics.
Allying with Semyonov is a very, very dangerous path to take. The man has absolute power, more power than anyone since Stalin I think, and owes us nothing. He wants to do workers right reforms and Balakirev is in his way as the overall leader of management. Unless Balakirev gets a power base of his own or another faction's backing, Semyonov could cut up the MNKh and use us to push his personal agenda with no opposition.
A safer bet would be to revive the Technocratic faction that's been adrift since Voznesensky got ousted. They have no backer now that Romanov got demoted, and the leader of the MNKh would be a strong rallying point for them.
Podgorny is a good option as well. He's on shaky grounds given his impending retirement, so we'd be able to get good concessions from him with regard to economic policy in return for backing his social policies.
On the flipside I feel like allying with Semyonov, while painful, is also a route for if we decide we want to take the MNKh down a size. For all it hurts, the very fact that it hurts could reduce the size of the ministry.
In other news, looking at some of these options gives me the sense that some of Balakirev's political ineptness may manifest in his ambition being beyond his ability. Nothing I can quite put my finger on, but something about the Ecology Assessments option prompted that thought.
I am of the opinion that we do not cut the Ministry down to size if only because we are playing the Ministry and I do not remotely trust any of the other people to run the Ministry properly while preparing for things like Oil Shock and the oncoming Climate Catastrophe.
As for the plans, you can use the spreadsheet considering it also accounts for things like the bonuses the character and the ministry has. Also maybe 4 dice Reconnect the Technocrats, regardless of who Bala aligns with he is going to need to have his own powerbase.
