THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY OF UZBEKISTAN IN THE POST-WAR YEARS (1945-1965)

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the recovery and developmental processes of the national economy of Uzbekistan during the post-Second World War period (1945–1965). The study examines the adaptation to peacetime conditions of industrial enterprises evacuated to the republic during the war, the industrialization processes of the Fourth and Fifth Five-Year Plans, the consolidation of cotton monoculture and its ecological and economic consequences, the campaign for the development of new lands such as the Hungry Steppe (Mirzacho‘l), the Central Fergana Valley, and the Qarshi Steppe, the formation of energy and transport infrastructure, as well as transformations in the socio-economic conditions of the population. The findings demonstrate that during this period Uzbekistan was shaped within the Soviet economic system as a region supplying raw materials, which gave rise to severe economic and ecological consequences for subsequent generations. At the same time, the study also records positive aspects such as the significant growth of industrial potential, the establishment of scientific and technical institutions, and the formation of qualified national cadres.