This thesis examines two interrelated questions, one of which is legal and the other economic. The legal question concerns discrimination by a host country government when the Soviet Union expressed its interest in the establishment of a Soviet bank, or subsequently during the actual operation of the Soviet bank if its establishment had been authorized.

The second and related question is that, if legal discrimination did take place, was there a significant impact on the foreign financial operations of the Soviet Union?

The thesis has six chapters : introduction, overview of Soviet banks abroad (which includes their history and special characteristics) ; Soviet banks abroad : legal perspectives ; economic role of Soviet banks abroad ; case studies (of four Soviet banks located in Western Europe) ; and conclusions. There are 24 tables.