The book examines the history of the Soviet military industry from the 1917 revolution to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Issues related to the development of the defense doctrine of the Soviet state, military-industrial policy, organization of production for the needs of the army and navy, management of the military industry, and financing of military expenditures are touched upon. The state and development of individual branches of military production are described, taking into account military-technical progress, including small arms, artillery and ammunition, and military shipbuilding. Particular attention is paid to such relatively new branches of production for that time as aircraft manufacturing, tank building, military chemistry, and communications. The issues of labor in the military industry, the training of specialists and workers, the development of military scientific and technical thought, the introduction of new developments into production, the problems of cooperation with foreign companies in the development of the military-industrial potential of the USSR are covered.