On the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union

J. V. Stalin

ON THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR OF THE SOVIET UNION

AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE
MAY 9, 1945

Comrades! Fellow countrymen and countrywomen!
The great day of victory over Germany has arrived. Fascist Germany, forced to her knees by the Red Army and the troops of our Allies, has admitted defeat and has announced her unconditional surrender.
On May 7 a preliminary act of surrender was signed in Rheims. On May 8, in Berlin, representatives of the German High Command, in the presence of representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied troops and of the Supreme Command of the Soviet troops, signed the final act of surrender, which came into effect at 24 hours on May 8.
Knowing the wolfish habits of the German rulers who regard treaties and agreements as scraps of paper, we have no grounds for accepting their word. Nevertheless, this morning, the German troops, in conformity with the act of surrender, began en masse to lay down their arms and surrender to our troops. This is not a scrap of paper. It is the actual capitulation of the armed forces of Germany. True, one group of German troops in the region of Czechoslovakia still refuses to surrender, but I hope the Red Army will succeed in bringing it to its senses.
We now have full grounds for saying that the historic
day of the final defeat of Germany, the day of our people's great victory over German imperialism, has arrived.
The great sacrifices we have made for the freedom and independence of our country, the incalculable privation and suffering our people have endured during the war, our intense labours in the rear and at the front, laid at the altar of our motherland, have not been in vain; they have been crowned by complete victory over the enemy. The ago-long struggle of the Slavonic peoples for their existence and independence has ended in victory over the German aggressors and German tyranny.
Henceforth, the great banner of the freedom of the peoples and peace between the peoples will fly over Europe.
Three years ago Hitler publicly stated that his task included the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the severance from it of the Caucasus, the Ukraine, Byelorussia, the Baltic and other regions. He definitely said: "We shall destroy Russia so that she shall never be able to rise again." This was three years ago. But Hitler's insane ideas were fated to remain unrealized -- the course of the war scattered them to the winds like dust. Actually, the very opposite of what the Hitlerites dreamed of in their delirium occurred. Germany is utterly defeated. The German troops are surrendering. The Soviet Union is triumphant, although it has no intention of either dismembering or destroying Germany.
Comrades! Our Great Patriotic War has terminated in our complete victory. The period of war in Europe has closed. A period of peaceful development has been ushered in.
Congratulations on our victory, my dear fellow countrymen and countrywomen!
Glory to our heroic Red Army, which upheld the independence of our country and achieved victory over the enemy!
Glory to our great people, the victor people!
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell fighting the enemy and who gave their lives for the freedom and happiness of our people!

ORDER THE DAY
OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TO THE RED ARMY AND NAVY

On May 8, 1945, in Berlin, representatives of the German High Command signed the act of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces.
The Great Patriotic War which the Soviet people waged against the German fascist aggressors has been brought to a triumphant conclusion; Germany is utterly defeated.
Comrades, Red Armymen, Red Navymen, non-commissioned officers, petty officers, officers of the Army and Navy, generals, admirals and marshals, I congratulate you on the victorious termination of our Great Patriotic War.
To mark our complete victory over Germany, today, May 9, Victory Day, at 22 hours, Moscow, the capital of our country, will on behalf of our country, salute the valiant troops of the Red Army and the ships and units of our Navy who achieved this brilliant victory with thirty artillery salvoes from one thousand guns.
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell fighting for the freedom and independence of our country!
Long live the victorious Red Army and Navy!

J. Stalin
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Supreme Commander-in-Chief

May 9, 1945, No. 369.
SPEECH
AT THE RECEPTION IN THE KREMLIN IN HONOUR OF THE COMMANDERS OF THE RED ARMY
MAY 24, 1945

Comrades, permit me to propose another toast, the last one.
I would like to propose that we drink to the health of the Soviet people, and primarily of the Russian people. (Loud and prolonged applause and cheers.)
I drink primarily to the health of the Russian people because it is the most outstanding of all the nations that constitute the Soviet Union.
I drink to the health of the Russian people, because, during this war, it has earned universal recognition as the guiding force of the Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country.
I drink to the health of the Russian people, not only because it is the leading people, but also because it is gifted with a clear mind, a staunch character and patience.
Our government committed no few mistakes; at times our position was desperate, as in 1941-42, when our army was retreating, abandoning our native villages and towns in the Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia, the Leningrad Re-

gion, the Baltic Region and the Karelo-Finnish Republic, abandoning them because there was no other alternative. Another people might have said to the government: You have not come up to our expectations. Get out. We shall appoint another government, which will conclude peace with Germany and ensure tranquillity for us. But the Russian people did not do that, for they were confident that the policy their government was pursuing was correct; and they made sacrifices in order to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this confidence which the Russian people displayed in the Soviet Government proved to be the decisive factor which ensured our historic victory over the enemy of mankind, over fascism.
I thank the Russian people for this confidence!
To the health of the Russian people! (L o u d a n d p r o l o n g e d a p p l a u s e.) <"s34">
ORDER THE DAY
OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To mark the victory over Germany in our Great Patriotic War, I hereby order that on June 24, 1945, in the Red Square in Moscow, a parade be held of troops of the Army on active service, of the Navy, and of the Moscow Garrison -- a Victory Parade.
The following are to participate: Mixed regiments from the fronts, a mixed regiment of the People's Commissariat for Defence, a mixed regiment from the Navy, the military academies, military schools and the troops of the Moscow Garrison.
The salute at this Victory Parade is to be taken by my deputy, Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov.
The Victory Parade is to be under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky.
I entrust the general direction of the organization of the Parade to Colonel-General Artemyev, Commander of the troops of the Moscow Military Area and Chief of the Moscow Garrison.
J. Stalin
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Supreme Commander-in-Chief

June 22, 1945, No. 370.
ORDER THE DAY
OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TO THE RED ARMY AND NAVY OF THE U.S.S.R.
No. 371
JULY 22, 1945

In the Great Patriotic War the Soviet people waged against fascist Germany, our country's Navy was a faithful helpmate of the Red Army.
In the war against the U.S.S.R. fascist Germany, taking advantage of suddenness of attack, and possessing a powerful army, set out to smash our Army and Navy in a short space of time. With their military forces, acting in co-operation with their air and naval forces, the Germans also wanted to achieve mastery on the sea.
As we know, the plans of the German strategists failed utterly on both land and sea. The Red Army, jointly with our Allies, completely routed the Hitler army and forced it to surrender.
When the Red Army was on the defensive, as well as when it was on the offensive, our Navy provided reliable protection for the Red Army's flanks which rested on the sea, struck telling blows at the enemy's merchant fleet and shipping, and ensured the uninterrupted operation of its communications. When in action our Soviet sailors were distinguished for their devoted staunchness and courage, high fighting activity and military skill. The
sailors manning submarines and surface vessels, the naval airmen, gunners and marines, took over and amplified all that was valuable in the ancient traditions of the Russian Navy.
On the Baltic, Black and Barents Seas, on the Volga, the Danube and the Dnieper, Soviet sailors, during the four years of war, inscribed new pages in the book of Russian naval glory. The Navy performed its duty to our Soviet Motherland to the full.
Comrades, Red Navymen, petty officers and officers!
The Soviet people wants to see its Navy still stronger and more powerful. Our people will construct for the Navy new warships and new bases. The Navy's task is tirelessly to train and perfect cadres of sailors, fully to assimilate the fighting experience of our Patriotic War, and to raise naval culture, discipline and organization in their ranks to a still higher level.
I congratulate you on the celebration of U.S.S.R. Navy Day!
Long live the Navy of the Soviet Power and its heroic sailors!

J. Stalin
Generalissimo of the Soviet Union
Supreme Commander-in-Chief

ORDER THE DAY
OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
No. 51
MOSCOW, AUGUST 19, 1945

In the Great Patriotic War the Soviet people waged against fascist Germany our air force performed its duty to our country with honour.
In fierce air combats, our country's valiant falcons defeated the vaunted German air force and thereby ensured freedom of action for the Red Army and rid the inhabitants of our country of enemy air bombardment.
In conjunction with the entire Red Army they struck the enemy crushing blows, destroying his man power and material. The skilful operations of our valiant air force constantly facilitated the success of our land forces and helped to bring about the final defeat of the enemy.
In fighting for the freedom and independence of our country Soviet airmen set no few examples of devoted staunchness, courage and true heroism. They have contributed many vivid pages to the history of our Great Patriotic War.
The Soviet people, the victor people, is legitimately proud of the fighting glory of its airmen.
During the course of the war the labour enthusiasm of the workers, men and women, engineers and office
staffs and the inventiveness and talent of Soviet aircraft designers made it possible to equip our air force with many thousands of splendid fighting machines which carried on their wings death to the enemy and immortal glory for our great Soviet people.
Comrades airmen, pilots and air-gunners, radio-operators, motor mechanics and armourers, mechanics, technicians and engineers, officers and generals! Workers, engineers, office employees and designers in the aircraft industry!
I greet you and congratulate you on the celebration of Aviation Day!
To mark Aviation Day, and in honour of our valiant aviators,

I HEREBY ORDER:
That today, August 19, at 20 hours, there shall be fired in Moscow, the capital of our country, on behalf of our country, a salute to our valiant aviators of twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.
J. Stalin
Generalissimo of the Soviet Union
Supreme Commander-in-Chief

AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE
SEPTEMBER 2, 1945

Comrades!
Fellow countrymen and countrywomen!
Today, September 2, political and military representatives of Japan signed an act of unconditional surrender. Utterly defeated on sea and land, and completely surrounded by the armed forces of the United Nations, Japan has admitted defeat and has laid down her arms.
Two hotbeds of world fascism and world aggression had been formed on the eve of the present World War: Germany in the West and Japan in the East. It was they who unleashed the Second World War. It was they who brought mankind and civilization to the brink of doom. The hotbed of world aggression in the West was destroyed four months ago and, as a result, Germany was forced to capitulate. Four months later the hotbed of aggression in the East was destroyed and, as a result, Japan, Germany's principal ally, was also compelled to Sign an act of capitulation.
This signifies the end of the Second World War.
Now we can say that the conditions necessary for peace all over the world have been gained.
It must be observed that the Japanese aggressors inflicted damage not only on our Allies -- China, the United States of America and Great Britain. They also inflicted

extremely grave damage on our country. That is why we have a separate account to settle with Japan.
Japan commenced her aggression against our country as far back as 1904, during the Russo-Japanese war. As we know, in February 1904, when negotiations between Japan and Russia were still proceeding, Japan, taking advantage of the weakness of the tsarist government, suddenly and perfidiously, without declaring war, fell upon our country and attacked the Russian Fleet in the region of Port Arthur with the object of putting a number of Russian warships out of action and thereby creating an advantageous position for her fleet. She did, indeed, put out of action three Russian first-class warships. It is characteristic that thirty-seven years later Japan played exactly the same perfidious trick against the United States when, in 1941, she attacked the United States naval base in Pearl Harbour and put a number of American battleships out of action. As we know, in the war against Japan, Russia was defeated. Japan took advantage of the defeat of tsarist Russia to seize from Russia the southern part of Sakhalin and establish herself on the Kuril Islands, thereby putting the lock on all our country's outlets to the ocean in the East, which meant also all outlets to the ports of Soviet Kamchatka and Soviet Chukotka. It was obvious that Japan was aiming to deprive Russia of the whole of her Far East.
But this does not exhaust the list of Japan's aggressive operations against our country. In 1918, after the Soviet system was established in our country, Japan, taking advantage of the hostility then displayed towards the Land of Soviets by Great Britain, France and the United States, and leaning upon them, again attacked our coun-
try, occupied the Far East and for four years tormented our people and looted the Soviet Far East.
Nor is this all. In 1938 Japan attacked our country again, in the region of Lake Hasan, near Vladivostok, with the object of surrounding Vladivostok; and in the following year Japan repeated her attack in another place, in the region of the Mongolian People's Republic, near Halhin-Gol, with the object of breaking into Soviet territory, severing our Siberian Railway and cutting off the Far East from Russia.
True, Japan's attacks in the regions of Hasan and Halhin-Gol were liquidated by the Soviet troops, to the extreme humiliation of the Japanese. Japanese military intervention in 1918-22 was liquidated with equal success and the Japanese invaders were expelled from our Far Eastern regions. But the defeat of the Russian troops in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese war left bitter memories in the minds of our people. It lay like a black stain upon our country. Our people believed in and waited for the day when Japan would be defeated and the stain would be wiped out. We of the older generation waited for this day for forty years, and now this day has arrived. Today Japan admitted defeat and signed an act of unconditional surrender.
This means that the southern part of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands revert to the Soviet Union and henceforth will serve not as a barrier between the Soviet Union and the ocean and a base for Japanese attack upon our Far East but as a direct means of communication between the Soviet Union and the ocean and a base for the defence of our country against Japanese aggression.
Our Soviet people spared neither strength nor labour

for the sake of victory. We experienced extremely hard years. But now every one of us can say: We have won. Henceforth we can regard our country as being free from the menace of German invasion in the West and of Japanese invasion in the East. The long awaited peace for the peoples of all the world has come.
I congratulate you, my dear fellow countrymen and countrywomen, on this great victory, on the successful termination of the war, and on the ushering in of peace all over the world!
Glory to the armed forces of the Soviet Union, the United States of America, China and Great Britain which achieved victory over Japan!
Glory to our Far Eastern troops and our Pacific Fleet, which upheld the honour and dignity of our country!
Glory to our great people, the victor people!
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell fighting for the honour and victory of our country!
May our country prosper and flourish!

ORDER THE DAY
OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
TO THE RED ARMY AND NAVY

On September 2, 1945, in Tokio, representatives of Japan signed an act of unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces.
The war which the Soviet people waged jointly with our Allies against the last aggressor -- Japanese imperialism -- has drawn to a triumphant close; Japan is defeated and has capitulated.
Comrades, Red Armymen, Red Navymen, non-commissioned officers, petty officers, officers of the Army and Navy, generals, admirals and marshals, I congratulate you on the victorious termination of the war against Japan.
To mark the victory over Japan, today, September 3. on the Festival of Victory over Japan, at 21 hours, Moscow, the capital of our country, will, on behalf of our country, salute the valiant troops of the Red Army and the ships and units of our Navy which achieved this victory with twenty-four artillery salvoes fired from three hundred and twenty-four guns.
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell fighting for the honour and victory of our country!
Let our Red Army and Navy live and flourish!

J. Stalin
Generalissimo of the Soviet Union
Supreme Commander-in-Chief

September 3, 1945, No. 373.