Supreme Council of the National Economy

government council, Soviet Union

Also known as: V.S.N.Kh.

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July 14, 2026

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The Supreme Council of the National Economy (V.S.N.Kh.) was an early attempt at centralized economic planning in the Soviet Union during the period of War Communism. Established after the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917, its role was to administer state control over industry and trade. However, this initial planning effort was largely unsuccessful, marked by rationing issues, famine, and a significant drop in output. The V.S.N.Kh. was eventually replaced by People's Commissariats, which were further divided into ministries, each overseeing a specific branch of industry. This system operated under the overarching policy objectives set by the Communist Party. Gosplan, established in 1921, later evolved into the central body responsible for translating these objectives into specific national economic plans, particularly after the adoption of the First Five-Year Plan in 1928, which prioritized rapid industrialization.12

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economic planning
Planning in the early U.S.S.R.
…to orders from the government’s Supreme Council of National Economy (V.S.N.Kh.). But this initial essay in planning was a failure—except insofar as it facilitated the concentration of the few available resources for the civil war fronts. Rationing functioned spasmodically, there was famine, and output fell drastically.
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…to orders from the government’s Supreme Council of National Economy (V.S.N.Kh.). But this initial essay in planning was a failure—except insofar as it facilitated the concentration of the few available resources for the civil war fronts. Rationing functioned spasmodically, there was famine, and output fell drastically.
Read More

Soviet Union
War Communism
…a gigantic bureaucratic organization, the Supreme Council of the National Economy, which was to allocate human and material resources in the most rational manner.
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…a gigantic bureaucratic organization, the Supreme Council of the National Economy, which was to allocate human and material resources in the most rational manner.
Read More