▁and ▁over ach ieve ▁quot as ▁through ▁propag anda , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁St ak han ov ite ▁movement . ▁ ▁Some ▁histor ians , ▁however , ▁interpret ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁prepared ness ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁to ▁defend ▁itself ▁as ▁a ▁f law ▁in ▁St alin ' s ▁economic ▁planning . ▁ ▁David ▁She ar er , ▁for ▁example , ▁arg ues ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁" a ▁command - admin istr ative ▁economy " ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁" a ▁planned ▁one ". ▁He ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁was ▁still ▁suffering ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁Pur ge , ▁and ▁was ▁completely ▁un prep ared ▁for ▁the ▁German ▁invasion . ▁Econom ist ▁Holland ▁Hunter , ▁in ▁addition , ▁arg ues ▁in ▁his ▁Over amb it ious ▁First ▁Soviet ▁Five - Year ▁Plan , ▁that ▁an ▁array ▁" of ▁alternative ▁paths ▁were ▁available , ▁evol ving ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁existing ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ... ▁that ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁as ▁good ▁as ▁those ▁achieved ▁by , ▁say , ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁yet ▁with ▁far ▁less ▁tur bul ence , ▁waste , ▁destruction ▁and ▁sacrifice ." ▁ ▁The ▁Cold ▁War ▁ ▁Soviet ▁control ▁over ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁extended ▁its ▁political ▁and ▁military ▁influence ▁over ▁Eastern ▁Europe , ▁in ▁a ▁move ▁that ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁some ▁as ▁a ▁continu ation ▁of ▁the ▁older ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁Some ▁territ ories ▁that