Abstract
This article examines the Soviet government’s labor policy in Uzbekistan during World War II, focusing on how labor relations were reorganized under extreme wartime demands. While prior scholarship has largely concentrated on military strategies and battlefield outcomes, this study addresses the knowledge gap concerning civilian labor mobilization and its socio-economic impacts within the Uzbek SSR. The research applies a historical-analytical method, drawing on press archives, official decrees, and labor mobilization records to assess how labor shortages were managed by recruiting women, adolescents, and the elderly, alongside the reintegration of disabled war veterans into the workforce. Key findings reveal that wartime labor policy was marked by forced overtime, the establishment of factory training schools, and strict discipline measures, including criminal penalties for unauthorized work absences. Despite harsh conditions, some protective measures, such as maternity rights and war invalids' benefits, were gradually introduced. The results highlight that Uzbekistan’s labor system during the war functioned under a dual pressure: meeting military production demands while managing severe human resource deficits. The study implies that the Soviet approach to labor reorganization in Uzbekistan was both a critical survival mechanism and a reflection of broader state control tactics, shaping postwar socio-economic structures.