Joseph Stalin’s 1952 work, Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR, addresses the theoretical and practical issues of socialist economic development in the Soviet Union. Stalin explores the transition from socialism to communism, the role of commodity-money relations in a socialist economy, and the need for centralized planning to overcome contradictions inherited from capitalist systems. He emphasizes the importance of advancing heavy industry as the backbone of socialist construction while ensuring the gradual elimination of class distinctions.

Mao Zedong’s commentaries on Stalin’s text, written later, engage critically with Stalin’s conclusions, particularly on the persistence of contradictions under socialism. Mao highlights the dialectical nature of socialist development, emphasizing that contradictions between the people and the state, as well as within the productive forces and relations, continue to exist and drive progress even after the overthrow of capitalism. Mao underscores the necessity of continued class struggle, self-criticism, and vigilance against revisionism to achieve a fully communist society.

Together, the text and Mao’s commentaries provide an in-depth examination of socialist economics, illustrating both Stalin’s theoretical rigor and Mao’s focus on the dynamic, ongoing nature of revolutionary practice.