Joseph Stalin - Speech at the 19th Party Congress
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Transcript of Joseph Stalin - Speech at the 19th Party Congress
J. V. Stalin
Speech of the 19th Party
Congress of the
Communist Party of the
Soviet Union 14 October, 1952
Source : Works, Vol. 16
Publisher : Red Star Press Ltd., London, 1986
Transcription/HTML Markup : Salil Sen for MIA, 2009
Public Domain : Marxists Internet Archive (2009). You may freely copy,
distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
commercial works. Please credit "Marxists Internet Archive" as your source.
Comrades!
Permit me, in the name of our Party Congress, to express our thanks to all
fraternal parties and organizations whose representatives have honoured our Party
Congress by their presence, or who have sent our Party Congress greetings of
friendship, for their wishes for our further success and for their confidence.
(Stormy, prolonged applause that became an ovation.)
For us, this trust is especially valuable as it signifies their readiness to support
our Party in its struggle for a better future for the people, in its struggle against
war, in its struggle to keep peace. (Stormy, prolonged applause.)
It would be a mistake to believe that our Party, which has become a mighty
power, does not need more support. That would be wrong. Our Party and our
country need the continuous trust, sympathy and support of fraternal peoples
outside our borders, and will always need it.
The special quality of this support lies in that every support of the peace
endeavours of our Party by each fraternal party, simultaneously signifies the
support of their own people in their struggle to keep peace. As the English
workers in the years 1918-1919, during the armed attack of the English
bourgeoisie on the Soviet Union, organized their struggle against the war under
the slogan "Hands off Russia!", was a support, it was above all a support of the
struggle of their own people for peace, and then, also, a support of the Soviet
Union. If Comrade Thorez or Comrade Togliatti declare that their people do not
want to be led into a war against the people of the Soviet Union, (stormy
applause), - then that is a support, above all a support for the French and Italian
workers and peasants who struggle for peace, and then, also, a support of the
peace endeavours of the Soviet Union. The special quality of the present support
is thus explained, that the interests of our Party are not only not against the
interests of the peace-loving people, but on the contrary, blend with them.
(Stormy applause.) Where the Soviet Union is concerned, its interest in the matter
of world peace cannot be separated from the cause of peace in the whole world.
It is understood that our Party must do its duty by its fraternal parties and
support them and their peoples in the struggle for liberation and in their struggle
for keeping peace. This is what the Party does. (Stormy applause.) After the
seizure of power by our Party in 1917, and after our Party took real measures to
eliminate the yoke of capitalists and landlords, the representatives of the' fraternal
parties, inspired by our daring and the success of our Party, gave it the name
"Shock Brigade" of the revolutionary movement and the workers' movement of
the world. Thereby they expressed the hope that the success of the "Shock
Brigade" would alleviate the sufferings of the people in the situation of being
under the capitalist yoke. I think that our Party has fulfilled these hopes,
especially in the time of the second world war, as the Soviet Union smashed the
German and Japanese fascist tyranny and liberated the European and Asian
peoples from the danger of fascist slavery. (Stormy applause.)
Of course it was very difficult to fulfil this honourable task as long as there was
only one "Shock Brigade," as long as it stood alone, the avant-garde in the
fulfillment of this task. But that is in the past. Now it is completely different.
Now, from China and Korea to Czechoslovakia and Hungary, new "Shock
Brigades" have appeared on the map, in the form of people's democracies; now
the struggle has been eased for our Party and also the work proceeds better.
(Stormy, prolonged applause.)
Special attention must be paid to the communist, democratic or worker and
peasant parties that are not yet in power and which must carry out their work
under the yoke of strict, bourgeois rule. Of course their work is more difficult.
But their work is not so difficult as it was for us Russian Communists in the time
of the Tsar, as the smallest step forward was declared a serious crime. The
Russian Communists nevertheless held firm, did not retreat from difficulties and
came to victory. The same will be the case with these parties.
Why is it that these parties do not have such difficult work as the Russian
Communists had in the times of Tsarism?
Because, first of all, they have the example of the struggle and success, as in
the Soviet Union and in the people's democratic countries, before them.
Consequently, they can learn from the mistakes and successes of these countries
and thus ease their work.
Because, secondly, the bourgeoisie itself, the arch-enemy of the freedom
movement, has become different, has essentially changed, has become more
reactionary, has lost the cooperation of the people and thus has been weakened. It
is understood that these circumstances must likewise ease the work of the
revolutionary and democratic parties. (Stormy applause.)
Earlier, the bourgeoisie presented themselves as liberal, they were for
bourgeois democratic freedom and in that way gained popularity with the people.
Now there is not one remaining trace of liberalism. There is no such thing as
"freedom of personality" any more, - personal rights are now only acknowledged
by them, the owners of capital, - all the other citizens are regarded as raw
materials, that are only for exploitation. The principle of equal rights for people
and nations is trodden in the dust and it is replaced by the principle of Full rights
for the exploiting minority and the lack of rights of the exploited majority of the
citizens. The banner of bourgeois democratic freedom has been flung overboard. I
think that you, the representatives of communist and democratic parties must pick
up this banner and carry it forward if you want to gain the majority of the people.
There is nobody else to raise it. (Stormy applause.)
Earlier, the bourgeoisie, as the heads of nations, were for the rights and
independence of nations and put that "above all." Now there is no trace left of this
"national principle." Now the bourgeoisie sell the rights and independence of
their nations for dollars. The banner of national independence and national
sovereignty has been thrown overboard. Without doubt, you, the representatives
of the communist and democratic parties must raise this banner and carry it
forward if you want to be patriots of your countries, if you want to be the leading
powers of the nations. There is nobody else to raise it. (Stormy applause.)
That is how matters stand at present.
It is understood that all these circumstances must ease the work of the
communist and democratic parties that are not yet in power.
Consequently, there is every ground for the success and victory of the fraternal
parties in the lands of capitalist rule. (Stormy applause.)
Long live our fraternal parties! (Prolonged applause.)
Long life and health to the leaders of the fraternal parties! (Prolonged
applause.)
Long live the peace between the peoples!
(Prolonged applause.)
Down with the arsonists of war! (Everyone stood up. Stormy, prolonged
applause that became an ovation. There were shouts of "Long live Comrade
Stalin!" "Long live the great leader of the working people of the world, Comrade
Stalin!" "The, great Stalin!" "Long live peace between the peoples!")
(Speech at the 19th Party Congress of the C.P.S.U., Dietz Press, Berlin 1952, Pp.
5 - 15)