Stalin invented the X-Prize

I have been reading The Gun, CJ Chivers' history of the AK-47 rifle. It's a really interesting book. In the opening pages, he frames the story with two great post-WWII Soviet military developments: the atom bomb, and the Kalashnikov. As Chivers points out, while one was a weapon destined to never be used, the other completely transformed the nature of modern conflict, by bringing automatic firepower to the masses.

What I didn't know is that the AK-47 came out of a contest Stalin organized. Apparently he was a huge fan of "X-Prize" syle contests for spurring innovation:

The dictator believed they motivated designers of military equipment, winnowed ideas, and accelerated development's pace. Contest were central to the Red Army's research efforts across a spectrum of design pursuits, including not just infantry arms but aircraft too. He rewarded winning designers and at times summoned them before him -- a terrifying prospect.