Ending. Beginning in No. 5 for 1999 III. Military-technical cooperation in the post-war years In the first post-war years, the Engineering Department of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade, along with some departments of the People's Commissariat of Defense, worked to provide weapons and military - technical equipment to the armies of the people's democracy countries established in Central and South - Eastern Europe. In addition, the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade was charged with carrying out lend-lease payments, participating in ensuring the supply of reparations and receiving captured military equipment. According to the decision taken at the Potsdam Conference in 1945, the captured German ships were divided into three equal parts and drawn by lot between the USSR, the United States and England. The Soviet Union got 155 warships, including a cruiser, 10 destroyers, 10 submarines, minesweepers, and torpedo boats. After the end of the war with Japan, the USSR received 7 destroyers, 17 escort ships, minelayers, minesweepers and some other vessels from its fleet. The main proceeds of reparations from Germany came at the expense of its industry. As part of the reparations, 676 enterprises were dismantled and their equipment removed in 1945, some enterprises were transferred to Soviet joint-stock companies, and 3,800 enterprises were transferred to German self-government bodies. However, obtaining products from German industry was fraught with great difficulties, as the factories left on the ground were cut off from traditional suppliers of raw materials and semi-finished products. As a result of this situation, the USSR was forced to provide its zone with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, rolled products, cotton, etc. In addition, in order to receive finished products from German companies, they had to deliver a lot of components that they had to make at home or buy in Western countries. Electric locomotives, railway cranes, walking excavators, metal ... Read more