At the beginning of 1928, anyone well-informed and attentive could notice a highly interesting phenomenon in the international community: whether it was the Soviet Union or the Ottoman Empire, both were stepping up efforts to formulate their own economic "Five-Year Plans."
As a result, there were simultaneously three countries in the world—all major powers—carrying out or preparing to carry out planned development of their national economies.
These three countries were East Africa, which had already implemented such policies for many years; the Soviet Union, which had long been preparing; and the Kemalist government of the Ottoman Empire, which had just completed a coup and was ready to flex its muscles.
Moreover, all three countries were highly representative. The Soviet Union lay at high latitudes, the Ottoman Empire at middle latitudes, and East Africa at low latitudes. Among the many nations of the world, their climatic impressions could be described as three extremes: the Soviet Union was "cold," the Ottoman Empire "dry," and East Africa "hot."
Of course, the climatic characteristics of all three countries were actually quite complex. The Soviet Union also had warm regions, northern Ottoman Empire received considerable rainfall, and East Africa likewise had rainforests and deserts, while its interior was relatively mild and cool.
Their levels of economic development were also vastly different. In the eyes of the international community, East Africa already counted as a fairly developed industrial powerhouse; the Soviet Union was half an industrial nation; while the Ottoman Empire as a whole still belonged to the ranks of backward agricultural countries.
In politics, population, cities, culture, society, and countless other aspects, the national conditions of the three countries differed as widely as heaven and earth.
Three utterly different major powers had, without prior consultation, chosen the same model for economic development. Once the Soviet