Technology, War, and Society: German-Soviet Scientific Exchanges in the Interwar Period

Abstract

The interwar years witnessed a paradoxical relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union. Despite profound ideological hostility, the two states engaged in significant scientific and technological cooperation that shaped their respective modernization trajectories. This article investigates German-Soviet scientific exchanges between 1922 and 1933, focusing on aviation, chemical engineering, and military technology. Drawing on archival sources from Berlin and Moscow, the study analyzes how pragmatic collaboration facilitated knowledge transfer and enabled both countries to circumvent restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and international isolation.
The findings demonstrate that cooperation was motivated less by ideological alignment than by mutual necessity. For Germany, Soviet territory provided space for experimental research and training otherwise prohibited by Western powers. For the Soviet Union, German expertise and technical know-how accelerated industrial modernization and military preparedness. These exchanges, while largely concealed from the international community, had long-lasting consequences: they not only advanced technological capacities but also laid the groundwork for subsequent strategic rivalries.
By framing scientific collaboration as a form of “scientific diplomacy,” the article situates German-Soviet interactions within broader debates on the politics of knowledge transfer. The study underscores that technological exchange is never politically neutral but is deeply embedded in questions of power, security, and ideology. In doing so, the research contributes to both the history of science and technology and the international history of the interwar period. It further illustrates how global perspectives on scientific cooperation must account for instances where adversaries engaged in pragmatic partnerships, complicating binary narratives of conflict and hostility.