One explanation for Soviet expansion begins with false reporting inside the command economy. In this interpretation, economic competition exposed problems that would matter less if the Soviet system controlled a much larger economy. The argument takes that logic to its limit: control over the world economy would remove an outside competitor. Expanding the number of communist states would therefore enlarge the area under Soviet influence. A navy with global reach supported those ambitions.
Notable Point · 3:26:26-3:28:10
How command-economy problems enter the argument for Soviet expansion
The proposed explanation links command-economy weaknesses to expansion through more communist states, giving global naval presence an economic and political purpose.