As an ardent isolationist, Henry Ford resisted calls to sell his iconic Model T Fords for use in WWI, although the Allied nations found ways to acquire many of them prior to America's entry into the war. With American participation, Ford opened sales of the Model T to the US Army and foreign governments, and the Model T automobile became one of the most important motor vehicles used in WWI. While best known for its service as an ambulance, the Model T also served as a supply truck, staff car, artillery tractor and in North Africa, it served as an armed patrol car in the Light Car Patrols. Over 130,000 Model T Fords were built for military use, with many others assembled from spare parts. They established an enviable reputation for versatility, usefulness and durability. After the end of the war, the Bolshevik revolution in Russia brought with it a fear of the new communist regime, and for some time, there was little trade between the west and Soviet Russia. As the 1920s progressed, the economic strains that eventually led to the financial collapse of 1929 also led to reduced business for many manufacturers, and as the Soviet Union with its isolated economy was not affected by the troubles in the west, it was seen as a new customer for western companies. Thus, when Russia expressed an interest in western technology in the 1920s, an opportunity presented itself to both sides. The Soviet Union was very interested in creating a national automobile manufacturing industry in Russia, and instituted an ambitious Five-Year Plan to achieve this goal. Russia sent a number of committees abroad to investigate the best ways to create this industrial capacity. They were particularly interested in extensive mass production, as the requirement for new vehicles to meet the needs of the vast Russian countryside was enormous.
