About the South of Russia: Conversation with the correspondent of the newspaper "Pravda"

About the South of Russia:
Conversation with the correspondent of the newspaper "Pravda"

A source: Stalin I.V. Works. - T. 4. - M.: OGIZ; State Publishing House of Political Literature, 1947, pp. 148–151.

People's Commissar Stalin , who recently arrived from a business trip, shared with our correspondent his impressions of the state of the Southern Front.

Importance of the Southern Front

Already one strategic position between the Don counter-revolution and the Astrakhan-Ural-Czechoslovak gangs speaks of the importance of the Southern Front. The proximity of the English sphere of influence (Anzeli, Krasnovodsk) only exacerbates this importance. The riches of the south of Russia (bread, oil, coal, livestock, fish) in themselves inflame the greedy appetites of the predators of imperialism, who are trying to tear this important corner away from Russia. Besides, there is no doubt that with the onset of autumn and the liquidation of the Samara adventure, the center of hostilities will shift to the south. This, in fact, explains the "feverish" work that the counter-revolutionaries of the south are now developing, hastily putting together a new (completely new!) "All-Russian government" consisting of tsar's serfs - Shipova, Sazonova, Lukomsky, uniting the gangs of Krasnov, Denikin and Skoropadsky into one army, appealing for help from England, etc.

Tsaritsyn as the center of impact

The point of greatest shelling from the enemy is Tsaritsyn. This is understandable, because the capture of Tsaritsyn and the interruption of communication with the south would ensure the achievement of all the tasks of the opponents: it would unite the Don counter-revolutionaries with the Cossack leaders of the Astrakhan and Ural troops, creating a united front of counter-revolution from the Don to the Czechoslovaks; it would secure the south and the Caspian for the counter-revolutionaries, internal and external; it would leave the Soviet troops of the North Caucasus in a helpless state ...

This, mainly, explains the persistence with which the White Guards of the south are trying to take Tsaritsyn.

Back in August, Krasnov issued an order: "Take Tsaritsyn." Krasnov's gangs rushed furiously to our front and tried to break it, but they were shot down by our Red Army and driven back beyond the Don.

In early October, a new order was issued for the capture of Tsaritsyn, this time by the counter-revolutionary Cossack circle in Rostov. At least forty regiments recruited on the Don, in Kyiv (officer regiments of Skoropadsky!), in the Kuban (Alekseev's volunteers!) were pulled together by the enemy. But with the steely hand of our Red Army, the Krasnov gangs were driven back this time as well, and a whole number of enemy regiments was surrounded by our troops and killed, leaving in our hands guns, machine guns, rifles. Generals Mamontov, Antonov, Popov, Tolkushkin and a whole bunch of colonels were forced to flee.

What is the strength of our army?

The successes of our army are explained, first of all, by its consciousness and discipline. Krasnov's soldiers are remarkable for their amazing stupidity and ignorance, complete isolation from the outside world. They don't know what they are fighting for. “We were ordered, and we are forced to fight,” they say during interrogations, being taken prisoner.

Not that our Red Army soldier. He proudly calls himself a soldier of the revolution, he knows that he is fighting not for the profits of the capitalists, but for the liberation of Russia, he knows this and boldly goes into battle with open eyes. The thirst for order and discipline among the Red Army comes to the point that they themselves often punish their "disobedient" and poorly disciplined comrades.

Equally important is the appearance of a whole cadre of red officers from former soldiers who received their baptism of fire in a number of battles. These red officers constitute the main cement of our army, holding it together into a single disciplined organism.

But the strength of the army is not limited to its own qualities. An army cannot exist for a long time without a strong rear. For a stable front, it is necessary that the army regularly receive reinforcements, ammunition and food supplies from the rear. In this respect, a major role was played by the appearance in the rear of knowledgeable and skillful administrators, mainly from the advanced workers conscientiously and tirelessly working on mobilization and supply. It is safe to say that Tsaritsyn would not have been saved without such administrators.

All this turns our army into a formidable force capable of breaking any enemy resistance.

Everything goes to the fact that a new international knot is being tied in the south. The appearance of a “new” “all-Russian government” in Ekaterinodar from the proteges of England, the unification of three counter-revolutionary armies (Alekseev, Skoropadsky, Krasnov), once already beaten by our troops near Tsaritsyn, rumors about the alleged intervention of England, the supply of Terek counter-revolutionaries from Enzali and Krasnovodsk by England - all it's not an accident. The adventure that failed in Samara is now being revived in the south. But they will not have - certainly will not have - that without which victory is unthinkable, i.e. there will be no army that believes in the black cause of the counter-revolution and is able to fight to the end. One powerful onslaught will suffice, and the house of cards of the counter-revolutionary adventurers will crumble to dust. The guarantee in this is the heroism of our army, the disintegration in the ranks of the Krasnov-Alekseyev "troops", the growing ferment in the Ukraine, the growing power of Soviet Russia, and, finally, the ever-increasing revolutionary movement in the West. The adventure in the south will end the same as the adventure in Samara ended.

"Pravda" No. 235,

October 30, 1918