XIX Congress of the CPSU (b) - (October 5-14, 1952). Documents and Materials

Stalin

Comrades!

Allow me to express gratitude on behalf of our congress to all fraternal parties and groups whose representatives honored our congress with their presence or who sent greetings to the congress ‐ for friendly greetings, for wishes of success, for confidence. (Stormy, prolonged applause turning into a standing ovation).

This trust is especially valuable to us, which means readiness to support our party in its struggle for the bright future of the peoples, in its struggle against war, in its struggle to preserve peace. (Stormy, prolonged applause.)

It would be a mistake to think that our party, which has become a powerful force, no longer needs support. This is not true. Our Party and our country have always needed and will need confidence, sympathy and support from fraternal peoples abroad.

The peculiar nature of this support is that any support for the peaceloving aspirations of our party on the part of any fraternal party means at the same time the support of its own people in their struggle to preserve peace. When the British workers in 1918‐1919, during the armed attack of the British bourgeoisie on the Soviet Union, organized a struggle against the war under the slogan ʺHands off Russiaʺ, it was support, support, first of all, the struggle of their people for peace, and then support of the Soviet Union. When Comrade Torez or Comrade Togliatti declare that their peoples will not fight against the peoples of the Soviet Union (thunderous applause), this is support, first all support for the workers and peasants of France and Italy, who are fighting for peace, and then support for the peace‐loving aspirations of the Soviet Union ... This feature of mutual support is explained by the fact that the interests of our party not only do not contradict, but, on the contrary, merge with the interests of peace‐loving peoples. (Stormy applause.) As for the Soviet Union, its interests are generally inseparable from the cause of world peace.

It is clear that our party cannot remain in debt to the fraternal parties and it itself must, in turn, support them, as well as their peoples in their struggle for liberation, in their struggle to preserve peace. As you know, she does just that. (Stormy applause.) After the seizure of power by our party in 1917 and after the party took real measures to eliminate capitalist and landlord oppression, representatives of the fraternal parties, admiring the courage and success of our party, awarded it the title of ʺShock Brigadeʺ of the world revolutionary and labor movement. By this they expressed the hope that the successes of the ʺShock Brigadeʺ would ease the situation for the peoples languishing under the yoke of capitalism. I think that our party justified these hopes, especially during the Second World War, when the Soviet Union, defeating the German and Japanese fascist tyranny, delivered the peoples of Europe and Asia from the threat of fascist slavery. (Stormy applause.)

Of course, it was very difficult to fulfill this honorable role while the ʺShock Brigadeʺ was the only one and while it had to fulfill this leading role almost alone. But it was. Now itʹs a completely different matter. Now, when from China and Korea to Czechoslovakia and Hungary, new ʺShock Brigadesʺ have appeared in the form of the Peopleʹs Democracies, now it has become easier for our party to fight, and the work has gone more fun. (Stormy, prolonged applause.)

Particularly noteworthy are those communist, democratic or workers ʹand peasantsʹ parties that have not yet come to power and which continue to work under the thumb of bourgeois draconian laws. It is, of course, more difficult for them to work. However, it is not so difficult for them to work as it was for us, the Russian communists, during the tsarist period, when the slightest movement forward was declared a grave crime. However, the Russian communists held out, were not afraid of difficulties and achieved victory. The same will happen with these parties.

Why will it not be so difficult for these parties to work in comparison with the Russian communists of the tsarist period?

Because, firstly, they have before their eyes such examples of struggle and successes as in the Soviet Union and the peopleʹs democratic countries. Consequently, they can learn from the mistakes and successes of these countries and thus facilitate their work.

Because, secondly, the bourgeoisie itself, the main enemy of the liberation movement, has become different, has changed in a serious way, has become more reactionary, has lost contact with the people and thus weakened itself. It is clear that this circumstance should also facilitate the work of the revolutionary and democratic parties. (Stormy applause.)

Previously, the bourgeoisie allowed itself to be liberal, defended bourgeois‐democratic freedoms and thus created popularity among the people. Now there is no trace of liberalism. There is no longer the socalled ʺfreedom of the individualʺ ‐ individual rights are now recognized only for those who have capital, and all other citizens are considered raw human material suitable only for exploitation. The principle of equality of people and nations has been trampled underfoot, it has been replaced by the principle of the full rights of the exploiting minority and the lack of rights of the exploited majority of citizens. The banner of bourgeois democratic freedoms has been thrown overboard. I think that you, the representatives of the communist and democratic parties, will have to raise this banner and carry it forward if you want to gather the majority of the people around you. There is no one else to lift it. (Stormy applause.)

Previously, the bourgeoisie was considered the head of the nation, it defended the rights and independence of the nation, placing them ʺabove all else.ʺ Now not a trace of the ʺnational principleʺ remains. Now the bourgeoisie is selling the rights and independence of the nation for dollars. The banner of national independence and national sovereignty has been thrown overboard. There is no doubt that you, the

representatives of the communist and democratic parties, will have to raise this banner and carry it forward if you want to be patriots of your country, if you want to become the leading force of the nation. There is no one else to lift it. (Stormy applause.)

This is the case at the present time.

It is clear that all these circumstances should facilitate the work of the communist and democratic parties that have not yet come to power.

Consequently, there is every reason to count on the successes and victory of fraternal parties in countries dominated by capital. (Stormy applause.)

Long live our fraternal parties! (Prolonged applause.)

May the leaders of the fraternal parties have health and long life! (Prolonged applause.)

Long live peace among nations! (Prolonged applause.)

Down with warmongers! (Everyone stands up. Stormy, long‐lasting applause turning into a standing ovation. Shouts: ʺLong live Comrade Stalin!ʺ, ʺHurray for Comrade Stalin!ʺ , ʺLong live peace among peoples!ʺ Shouts: ʺHurrayʺ).