The birth of Torgsin -- A golden idea -- The Torgsin empire -- The red directors of Torgsin: the political commissar -- Why did Stalin need Torgsin? -- Gold -- The red directors of Torgsin: the spy -- Silver -- Diamonds and platinum -- Send dollars to Torgsin! -- What's for sale? -- The buyers...

"Money did not become obsolete under Communism. The ruble remained a key feature of Soviet life. After World War II, money became an essential tool of the Soviet government. A strong ruble represented the nation's promise of future prosperity, but its failure to deliver improved purchasing power...

As the United States rose to ascendancy in the first decades of the twentieth century, observers abroad associated American economic power most directly with its burgeoning automobile industry. In the 1930s, in a bid to emulate and challenge America, engineers from across the world flocked to...