Balance of Trade - Russia/Germany

[centurion]

In 1913 German imports from Russia were £78,400,000 whilst exports were only £30,200,000 - does anyone know the details of what this was made up of? Or if not where I might find the detail? I'm trying to assess the cost of the war to Germany and where and how she might have found substitutes.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Centurion

If you can find a reference library that has a copy of the 1911 edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, that might give you the answers. Failing that, a copy of the contemporary Whitaker's Almanac, or the Almanach de Gotha, might throw some light.

A few suggestions spring to mind:

Coal and wheat from Russian Poland

Wheat from the Ukraine

Oil from the Baku area

Mineral ores from the Urals

Ron

[David Ridgus]

In 1913 German imports from Russia were £78,400,000 whilst exports were only £30,200,000 - does anyone know the details of what this was made up of? Or if not where I might find the detail? I'm trying to assess the cost of the war to Germany and where and how she might have found substitutes.

I just googled 'Russian exports to Germany 1913' and there were stacks of responses. A quick survey suggests that Mr Clifton's list is pretty much on the money. The vast majority of exports appear to be grain and other foodstuffs

David

Edit: just found a book in Google books called 'Russia's Economic Transition from Late Tsarism to the New Millenium' by Nicolas Spulber that appears to have just what you want