Speech of the 19th Party Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
October
14, 1952
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 free clom has boon
flung overboard. I think thai 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)
Click here to return to the Stalin Archive index.