Industrialization in Russia began in the 1890s, largely due to the energy of Count Witte, a follower of the great German economist Friedrich List, a theorist of productive forces (it was from him that Marx stole the term) and protectionism. An active associate of Witte was D. I. Mendeleev, not only a chemist, but also an organizer of our oil industry, an outstanding economist who continued List's protectionist ideas.

With the full support of the sovereigns Alexander III and Nicholas II, Witte achieved an impressive industrial leap, although many reproached him for overexerting the forces of peasant Russia, which was reflected in the riots of 1905-1906, which coincided with a cyclical economic crisis in the world system.