Stalin Gives Rare Radio Broadcast

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Globalization41
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Stalin Gives Rare Radio Broadcast

#1

Post by Globalization41 » 23 Mar 2004, 10:39

Moscow, Associated Press, The New York
Times,
Thursday, July 3, 1941: [Late
Wednesday, U.S. time]
Premier Joseph Stalin
warned his people in a broadcast today that
Nazi troops were inside White Russia and the
Ukraine, but promised that "Hitler's army will
be beaten
like those of Napoleon and Kaiser
Wilhelm." ... Mr. Stalin, who rarely speaks
on the radio, said Germans troops had
occupied Lithuania, the greater part of Latvia,
and the western parts of White Russia and the
Ukraine. He said, "the enemy continues to
push ahead." ... ... The text of the broadcast
address by Joseph Stalin, Premier and
chairman of the State Committee of Defense,
as translated by Tass, the official Russian news
agency, follows: Comrades! Citizens!
Brothers and Sisters! Men of our Army and
Navy! I am addressing you, my friends! ...
The perfidious military attack on our
fatherland,
begun on June 22 by Hitler's
Germany, is continuing. ... In spite of heroic
resistance of the Red Army, and although the
enemy's finest divisions and finest air force
units have already met their doom on the field
of battle, the enemy continues to push forward,
hurling fresh forces into the attack. ... Hitler's
troops have succeeded in capturing
Lithuania, a considerable part of Latvia, the
Western part of Byelo-Russia [White Russia],
and a part of the Western Ukraine. ... The
Fascist air force is extending the range of
operations of its bombers and is bombing
Murmansk, Orsha, Mogilev, Smolensk, Kiev,
Odessa, and Sevastopol. ... A grave danger
hangs over our country.
... How could it have
happened that our glorious Red Army
surrendered a number of our cities and districts
to the Fascist armies? ... Is it really true that
German Fascist troops are invincible,
as is
ceaselessly trumpeted by boastful
propagandists? Of course not! ... History
shows that there are no invincible armies,
and
never have been. Napoleon's army was
considered invincible, but it was beaten
successively by Russian, English, and German
Armies. ... Kaiser Wilhelm's German Army
in the period of the first imperialist war was
also considered invincible, but it was beaten
several times by Russian and Anglo-French
forces. ... The same must be said of Hitler's
German Fascist Army today. This army has
not yet met with serious resistance on the
Continent of Europe.
Only on our territory
has it met serious resistance, and if as a result
of the resistance the finest divisions of Hitler's
German Fascist Army have been defeated by
our Red Army, it means that this army, too,
can be smashed and will be smashed as were
the armies of Napoleon and Wilhelm. ... As
to part of our territory having nevertheless
been seized by German Fascist troops, this is
chiefly due to the fact that the war of Fascist
Germany on the U.S.S.R. began under
conditions favorable for German forces and
unfavorable for Soviet forces. ... The fact of
the matter is that troops of Germany, as a
country at war, were already fully mobilized,
and 170 divisions hurled by Germany against
the U.S.S.R. and brought up to the Soviet
frontiers were in a state of complete readiness,
only awaiting the signal to move into action,
whereas Soviet troops had little time to effect
mobilization and move up to the frontiers. ...
Of no little importance in this respect is the
fact that Fascist Germany suddenly and
treacherously violated the non-aggression pact

she concluded in 1939 with the U.S.S.R.,
disregarding the fact that she would be
regarded as an aggressor by the whole world.

Naturally, our peace-loving country, not
wishing to take the initiative of breaking the
pact, could not resort to perfidy. ... It may be
asked: How could the Soviet Government have
consented to conclude a non-aggression pact
with such treacherous fiends as Hitler and
Ribbentrop?
Was not this an error on the part
of the Soviet Government? Of course not! ...
Non-aggression pacts are pacts of peace
between two States. It was such a pact that
Germany proposed to us in 1939. Could the
Soviet Government have declined such a
proposal? I think not a single peace-loving
State could decline a peace treaty with a
neighboring State even though the latter was
headed by such fiends and cannibals as Hitler
and Ribbentrop.
... But that was, of course,
only on one indispensable condition -- namely,
that this peace treaty does not infringe either
directly or indirectly on the territorial integrity,
independence, and honor of a peace-loving
State. As is well known, the non-aggression
pact between Germany and the U.S.S.R. is
precisely such a pact. ... What did we gain by
concluding a non-aggression pact with
Germany? We secured for our country peace
for a year and a half and the opportunity of
preparing its forces
to repulse Fascist Germany
should she risk an attack on our country
despite the pact. This was a definite advantage
for us and a disadvantage for Fascist Germany.
... What has Fascist Germany gained and what
has she lost by treacherously tearing up the
pact and attacking the U.S.S.R.? She gained a
certain advantageous position for her troops for
a short period, but she has lost politically by
exposing herself in the eyes of the entire world
as a bloodthirsty aggressor. ... There can be
no doubt that this short-lived military gain for
Germany is only an episode, while the
tremendous political gain of the U.S.S.R. is a
serious and lasting factor that is bound to form
the basis for development of decisive military
successes of the Red Army in the war with
Fascist Germany. ... That is why our whole
valiant Red Army, our whole valiant navy, all
our falcons of the air, all peoples of our
country, all the finest men and women of
Europe, America, and Asia, and, finally, all
the finest men and women of Germany,
condemn the treacherous acts of the German
Fascists and sympathize with the Soviet
Government, approve the conduct of the Soviet
Government, and see that ours is a just cause,
that the enemy will be defeated, that we are
bound to win. ... By virtue of this war, which
has been forced upon us, our country has come
to death grips with its most malicious and most
perfidious enemy -- German fascism. ... Our
troops are fighting heroically against an enemy
armed to the teeth with tanks and aircraft.

Overcoming innumerable difficulties the Red
Army and Navy are self-sacrificingly disputing
every inch of Soviet soil. ... The main forces
of the Red Army
are coming into action armed
with thousands of tanks and airplanes. Men of
the Red Army are displaying unexampled
valor. Our resistance to the enemy is growing
in strength and power. Side by side with the
Red Army, the entire Soviet people is rising in
defense of our native land. ... Lenin, the great
founder of our State,
used to say that the chief
virtue of the Soviet people must be courage,
valor, fearlessness in struggle, readiness to
fight together with the people against the
enemies of our country. This splendid virtue
of the Bolshevik
must become the virtue of
millions and millions of the Red Army, of the
Red Navy, of all the peoples of the Soviet
Union. ... What is required to put an end
to the danger hovering over our country, and
what measures must be taken to smash the
enemy? Above all, it is essential that our
people, the Soviet people, should understand
the full immensity of the danger that threatens
our country and abandon all complacency, all
heedlessness, all those moods of peaceful,
constructive work which were so natural before
the war but which are fatal today when war has
fundamentally changed everything. ... The
enemy is cruel and implacable.
He is out to
seize our lands watered with our sweat, to
seize our grain and soil secured by our labor.
... He is out to restore the rule of landlords, to
restore Czarism, to destroy national culture and
the national State existence of Russians,
Ukrainians, Byelo-Russians, Lithuanians, Letts,
Estonians, Uzbeks, Tartars, Moldavians,
Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanians, and the
other free peoples of the Soviet Union, to
Germanize them, to convert them into slaves of
German princes and barons.
Thus the issue is
one of life or death for the Soviet State; for the
peoples of the U.S.S.R., the issue is whether
peoples of the Soviet Union shall remain free
or fall into slavery.
... The Soviet people must
realize this and abandon all heedlessness, they
must mobilize themselves and reorganize all
their work on new wartime lines, when there
can be no mercy to the enemy. ... Further,
there must be no room in our ranks for whimperers
and cowards, for panic-mongers and deserters; our
people must know no fear in the fight and must
selflessly join our patriotic war of liberation,
our war against Fascist enslavers. ... All our
work must be immediately reconstructed on a
war footing, everything must be subordinated
to the interests of the front and the task of
organizing demolition of the enemy.
... The
peoples of the Soviet Union now see that there
is no taming of German fascism in its savage
fury
and hatred of our country which has
insured all working people labor in freedom
and prosperity.
... The peoples of the Soviet
Union must rise against the enemy and defend
their rights and their land. The Red Army,
Red Navy, and all citizens of the Soviet Union
must defend every inch of Soviet soil, must
fight to the last drop of blood for our towns
and villages, must display the daring initiative
and intelligence that are inherent in our people.
... We must organize all-round assistance to
the Red Army, insure powerful reinforcements
for its ranks and supply of everything it
requires, we must organize rapid transport of
troops and military freight and extensive aid to
the wounded.
... We must strengthen the Red
Army's rear, subordinating all our work to the
cause; all our industries must be got to work
with greater intensity to produce more rifles,
machine guns, artillery, bullets, shells,
airplanes; we must organize the guarding of
factories, power stations, telephonic and
telegraphic communications, and arrange
effective air-raid precautions in all localities.
... We must wage a ruthless fight against all
disorganizers of the rear, deserters, panic-
mongers, rumor-mongers; exterminate spies,
diversionists, enemy parachutists; rendering
rapid aid in all this to our destroyer battalions.
We must bear in mind that the enemy is crafty,
unscrupulous, experienced in deception and
dissemination of false rumors.
... We must
reckon with all this and not fall victim to
provocation.
All who by their panic-
mongering and cowardice hinder the work of
defense, no matter who they are, must be
immediately hailed before a military tribunal.
In case of a forced retreat of Red Army units,
all rolling stock must be evacuated; to the
enemy must not be left a single engine, a
single railway car; not a single pound of grain
or a gallon of fuel. ... Collective farmers must
drive off all their cattle and turn over their
grain to the safekeeping of State authorities

for transportation to the rear. All valuable
property including non-ferrous metals, grain,
and fuel which cannot be withdrawn must
without fail be destroyed. ... In areas occupied
by the enemy, Guerrilla units, mounted and
foot, must be formed, diversionist groups must
be organized to combat enemy troops, to
foment guerrilla warfare everywhere, to blow
up bridges, roads; damage telephone and
telegraph lines, and to set fire to forests,
stores, and transports.
... In occupied regions
conditions must be made unbearable for the
enemy and all his accomplices. They must be
hounded and annihilated at every step and all
their measures frustrated. ... This war with
Fascist Germany cannot be considered an
ordinary war.
It is not only a war between two
armies, it is also a great war of the entire
Soviet people against the German fascist
forces. ... The aim of this national war in
defense of our country against fascist
oppressors
is not only elimination of the danger
hanging over our country, but also aid to all
European peoples groaning under the yoke of
German fascism.
... In this war of liberation
we shall not be alone. In this great war we
shall have loyal allies in the peoples of Europe
and America,
including German people who
are enslaved by Hitlerite despots. ... Our war
for the freedom of our country will merge with
the struggle of the peoples of Europe and
America for their independence, for democratic
liberties.
It will be a united front of peoples
standing for freedom and against enslavement
by Hitler's Fascist armies. ... In this
connection the historic utterance of British
Prime Minister Churchill
regarding aid to the
Soviet Union and the declaration of the U.S.A.
Government
signifying readiness to render aid
to our country, which can only evoke a feeling
of gratitude in the hearts of the peoples of the
Soviet Union, are fully comprehensible and
symptomatic. ... Comrades, our forces are
numberless.
The overweening enemy will soon
learn this to his cost. Side by side with the Red
Army and Navy thousands of workers, collective
farmers, and intellectuals
are rising to fight the
enemy aggressor. The masses of our people
will rise up in the millions. The working people
of Moscow and Leningrad already have
commenced to form vast popular levies in
support of the Red Army. ... Such popular
levies must be raised in every city which is in
danger of an enemy invasion, all working
people must be roused to defend our freedom,
our honor, our country -- in our patriotic war
against German fascism.
... In order to insure
a rapid mobilization of all forces of the peoples
of the U.S.S.R., and to repulse the enemy who
treacherously attacked our country, a State
Committee of Defense has been formed in
whose hands the entire power of the State has
been vested. ... The State Committee of
Defense has entered into its functions and calls
upon all our people to rally around the party of
Lenin-Stalin
and around the Soviet Government
so as self-denyingly to support the Red Army
and Navy, demolish the enemy, and secure
victory. ... All our forces for the support of
our heroic Red Army and our glorious Red
Navy! ... All the forces of the people -- for
the demolition of the enemy! ... Forward, to
our victory!


[Stay tuned for late breaking war bulletins.
... Globalization41.]


Last edited by Globalization41 on 19 Jun 2004, 20:44, edited 2 times in total.

Alexander Zöller
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Posts: 126
Joined: 04 May 2003, 14:59
Location: Germany
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#2

Post by Alexander Zöller » 23 Mar 2004, 18:12

Love those newspaper clippings and bulletins, do keep them coming please! :)

Alexander


varjag
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Posts: 4431
Joined: 01 May 2002, 02:44
Location: Australia

#3

Post by varjag » 28 Mar 2004, 13:06

Yes - nice to read into the 'Zeitgeist' of that time. This was his famous 'brothers & sisters' speech. With much audible clinking of glass and gulping of water. He had NEVER used 'brothers and sisters' before in his mercyless war against the Russian people. Now he suddenly had to plead to them...to save his murderous regime. A very sober, but rarely reported reaction of the listeners at that time, was 'that the Vozd (leader) must be in a tight spot before he calls us brothers and sisters...'

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13thredarmy
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Posts: 63
Joined: 28 Sep 2003, 16:08
Location: Picton, New Zealand

#4

Post by 13thredarmy » 28 Mar 2004, 15:56

Also of interest are the several references to the german people themselves being under Hitler's boot but basically being OK and that the current struggle was for their liberatioon as well.

This train of thought was to last a surprisingly long time, until Stalingrad and the " ... not one step back ... " speech when the German people as whole were condemned as monsters, culminating in " ... you are now entering the lair of the fascist beast " speech in 1945.

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