Why the Soviet Computer Failed

Summary

This video explores the evolution of the Soviet computing industry from the late 1940s to the 1980s, highlighting significant milestones such as the development of the MESM and BESM-1. Despite early successes, the Soviets faced numerous challenges, including political interference, production inefficiencies, and an inability to keep pace with Western advancements in technology. The attempt to consolidate the industry through the Unified System (ES) ultimately relied on reverse-engineering foreign technology, leading to a long-term dependency that hindered innovation. The narrative underscores the consequences of strategic missteps and the limits of centralized planning in technology development.

Takeaways

• 📊 In 1986, the Soviet Union had only 10,000 computers compared to 1.3 million in the United States, highlighting a significant computing gap.
• 🛰 The Soviet state initially believed in the importance of science and industrial modernization, investing heavily in research and development during the Stalin era.
• 💻 The Soviets were slow to adapt to electronic computers, with early efforts focusing on mechanical and analog machines due to political influences.
• 🛠 Sergey Lebedev's development of the MESM in Ukraine marked a significant step forward, as it became the Soviet Union's first digital computer.
• ⚖️ Competition between institutions like ITMVT and SKB-245 led to a struggle for resources and delayed advancements in Soviet computing technology.
• 💰 By 1959, the Soviet Union produced computers worth $59 million, while the US produced $1 billion, illustrating a massive disparity in production capacity.
• 🚀 The shift from vacuum tubes to transistors in the 1960s marked the second generation of computers, with the BESM-6 becoming a significant Soviet supercomputer.
• 📉 The third generation of computers, powered by integrated circuits, saw the Soviets falling further behind the US, culminating in the announcement of IBM's System/360.
• 🔗 The Soviet Union's reliance on copying foreign technology, particularly the IBM 360 model, hindered the development of an independent and innovative computing industry.
• 🛑 By the 1980s, the Soviet computing industry struggled with aging technology and failed to innovate, leading to a permanent gap in capabilities and productivity.

Q & A

What was the computing power comparison between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1986?

In 1986, the Soviet Union had slightly more than 10,000 computers, while the United States had 1.3 million.

How did the Soviet Union initially respond to the news about ENIAC?

The Soviets knew little about ENIAC other than that it used vacuum tubes, and many dismissed the news as propaganda.

What role did 'calculator girls' play in the Soviet Union's computing efforts?

The 'calculator girls' were young women employed to perform calculations for military purposes, particularly in the nuclear weapons effort.

What significant project was established in 1948 to advance Soviet computing technology?

The Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Technology (ITMVT) was established to explore computing technology.

Who was Sergey Lebedev and what was his contribution to computing in the Soviet Union?

Sergey Lebedev was a director of the Kyiv Electrotechnical Institute who built the Malaya Elektronno-Schetnaya Mashina (MESM), the first Soviet digital computer.

What were the capabilities of the BESM-1 compared to the UNIVAC I?

The BESM-1 could perform 8,000-10,000 operations per second, making it one of the fastest computers in the world, while the UNIVAC I was capable of only about 1 kiloFLOP.

What factors contributed to the struggles of the ITMVT in delivering the BESM?

Competition from the SKB-245 institute, which focused on mechanical analogue computers, and bureaucratic challenges limited the ITMVT's ability to deliver the BESM.

Why did the Soviet computer industry struggle with production compared to the United States?

The Soviet command economy lacked incentives for productivity and innovation, leading to insufficient production and training for computer use.

What was the significance of the BESM-6 in the context of Soviet computing?

The BESM-6 was the Soviet Union's first supercomputer capable of over a million operations per second, representing progress in second-generation computing.

How did the decision to copy the IBM 360 impact the Soviet computing industry?

The decision to model the Edinaina Sistema (ES) project on the IBM 360 limited indigenous innovation and led to long-term dependency on foreign technology.