AHC: Czarist Russia Industrial Revolution

abc123

Banned
with a POD in 1788, make the Russian Empire industrialize successfully- to the extent of OTL Japan, let's say.

OTL today or OTL in 1917?

Because if 1918, than I would say that they mostly allready did that.
 
Last edited:
We definitely would have to get rid of serfdom early for this.
Or not have it fully introduced in the first place, IIRC whilst they had a kind of serfdom-lite it wasn't until 1600s that they introduce full-on serfdom. I've actually heard that as a reason why western Europe so distrusted Russia - earlier on when they had serfdom and Russia didn't they it was seen as unruly and anarchic, after they introduced it but it died out in western Europe it meant they were viewed as repressive and backwards.
 
Delay/avoid WWI for another 10 years you are pretty much there

Russia was ahead of Japan OTL.

Behind Germany, the US, and the UK - but definitely not Japan.

Of course, this is looking at heavy industry more than light industry, but still. Russia did do reasonably well as the second string went.

Russia produced twenty times as much steel as Japan in 1913. Its "total industrial potential" (with the UK in 1900 set as 100) is twice Japan's (57.3 vs. 25.1), per capita industrialization (with GB as 100 in 1900) is tied, urban population is 7% vs. 12.8% (Japan's favor), energy consumption from modern fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas, and hydoelectricity) is double Japan's (equivalent to 54 vs. 23 million metric tons of coal) - admittedly with a higher population, so per capita this isn't so good.

Still, Russia is measurably ahead in several areas and the (albeit distant) 4th in total manufacturing output - 8.2% of the world's total in 1913.
 
Last edited:
Russia was ahead of Japan OTL.

Behind Germany, the US, and the UK - but definitely not Japan.

Of course, this is looking at heavy industry more than light industry, but still. Russia did do reasonably well as the second string went.

Russia produced twenty times as much steel as Japan in 1913. Its "total industrial potential" (with the UK in 1900 set as 100) is twice Japan's (57.3 vs. 25.1), per capita industrialization (with GB as 100 in 1900) is tied, urban population is 7% vs. 12.8% (Japan's favor), energy consumption from modern fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas, and hydoelectricity) is double Japan's (equivalent to 54 vs. 23 million metric tons of coal) - admittedly with a higher population, so per capita this isn't so good.

Still, Russia is measurably ahead in several areas and the (albeit distant) 4th in total manufacturing output - 8.2% of the world's total in 1913.
Militarily important is the total product, and not per capita production. If tomorrow Monaco will take first place in the production per capita - a superpower, it still will not.
Greatly hampered the German competition ra Russian markets, so Russia was so eager for war with Germany.
 
Militarily important is the total product, and not per capita production. If tomorrow Monaco will take first place in the production per capita - a superpower, it still will not.
Greatly hampered the German competition ra Russian markets, so Russia was so eager for war with Germany.

So this puts - industrially, at least - Russia far ahead of Japan.
 
Delay/avoid WWI for another 10 years you are pretty much there

This. It might not be Soviet-level and industrialization in Tsarist Russia was hilariously expensive for the results it gave (think Sochi Olympics expensive), but it was still industrializing and has been for decades.
 
Top