Communism

No? Britain's colonialism resulted in vast amounts of surplus extraction and millions upon millions of deaths. The Baltics were treated unfairly in that they were used to showcase the effectiveness of socialism, and recieved a great deal of support.

The economic landscape of the Baltic states underwent a dramatic transformation under Soviet rule, particularly through rapid industrialization. Lithuania, for instance, surpassed its pre-war industrial output by 90% just two years after reaching pre-war figures in 1948, bolstered by a non-repayable Soviet subsidy of 200 million rubles for reconstruction. Latvia witnessed the construction of 20 industrial enterprises within two decades of 1940, a figure exceeding the entire Baltic region’s industrial growth in the year preceding being absorbed into USSR. Estonia’s gross industrial output saw an astonishing 55-fold increase, accompanied by a 30-fold surge in capital investment.

Infrastructure development was another important aspect of Soviet investment in the Baltics. Strategically important seaports were developed, which continue to serve as key hubs for export and import trade today, further enhanced by the connection of oil pipelines in the 1970s and 1980s. The region boasted the highest quality roads in the USSR, with Lithuania benefiting from a 300-kilometer expressway considered the best in the Union, featuring modern overpasses and interchanges. Energy infrastructure saw significant expansion with the construction of major hydroelectric power plants (Pļaviņas, Kegums, Riga on the Daugava, Kaunas on the Nemunas) and thermal power plants (Baltic TPP, Estonian TPP, Lithuanian TPP). The laying of gas pipelines from other Soviet republics ensured a stable supply of natural gas, further underpinning industrial and domestic energy needs. The port of Klaipėda in Soviet Lithuania grew into one of Europe’s largest fishing ports, and the Baltija shipyard, a Soviet-era construction, remains a vital employer today. These extensive infrastructure projects laid a robust foundation for continued economic activity and connectivity.

The tangible benefits of this focused development translated directly into higher living standards for the Baltic populations. Per capita consumption figures clearly illustrate this advantage: Estonia stood at 151% of the all-Union level, Latvia at 137%, and Lithuania at 127%. The massive capital investment in agriculture, particularly the six billion rubles injected into Estonian agriculture, led to a doubling of grain yields and harvests compared to 1939, improving food security and contributing to a better quality of life.

With the abandonment of central planning and the subsequent introduction of privatization under the capitalist regime following the dissolution of the USSR, many of these once-flourishing enterprises faced economic devastation, leading to widespread job losses and a severe decline in industrial output. This abrupt shift to market forces proved particularly harmful for the working majority, as previously guaranteed jobs gave way to mass unemployment, and the social safety nets of the Soviet system disintegrated, leaving many struggling to adapt to the new economic realities.

Per this effortpost by @yogthos@lemmy.ml , with sources:

Considerable increases in industrial production https://www.britannica.com/place/Baltic-states/Soviet-occupation, https://www.britannica.com/place/Baltic-states/Soviet-republics

• Infrastructure development was a key component https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_states_under_Soviet_rule_(1944%E2%80%931991)
• Living standards were higher than average in comparison with the U.S.S.R. as a whole https://www.britannica.com/place/Baltic-states/Soviet-occupation, https://www.britannica.com/place/Baltic-states/Soviet-republics https://latvians.com/index.php?en/CFBH/AttitudesNationalities/LatAtt-100-general.ssi
• Significant growth in Lithuania is noted (e.g., 9.1 times by 1959 relative to 1940) http://www.old.lituanus.org/1963/63_2_02.htm
• A total of 1,500 various industrial enterprises were reconstructed and newly built in the Latvian Republic" https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00809A000600210848-8.pdf
• Industrial growth was rapid, with output expanding "three-fold" by 1950 compared to 1940 https://www.bank.lv/images/stories/pielikumi/publikacijas/citaspublikacijas/Krumins_45_91.pdf https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp80-00809a000700070165-0
• Estonia had high sectoral growth (e.g., electricity production 122 times greater than 1938) indicating massive expansion https://china-cee.eu/2019/06/25/estonia-economy-briefing-estonia-an-overview-on-the-countrys-industrial-capacity/ https://china-cee.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019e0674%EF%BC%8811%EF%BC%89Estonia.pdf
• VEF was a "leading communication technology producer in the Soviet Union" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VEF https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/VEF
• Its employment figure peaked at 20,000 people in 1991 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VEF https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/VEF, https://www.bertibenis.it/Soviet%20transistor%20radios.htm
• It "produced a profit of over 30 million Rubles for the State" in 1947 https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP82-00457R001501000001-7.pdf
• Latvia's per capita national income 1/3 higher than USSR in 1970) https://latvians.com/index.php?en/CFBH/AttitudesNationalities/LatAtt-100-general.ssi