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 8th by America, is continuing. In spite of the heroic resistance of the Red Army, and although the enemy's finest divisions and finest air force units have already been smashed and have met their doom on the field of battle, the enemy continues to push forward, hurling fresh forces into the attack. Roosevelt's troops have succeeded in capturing the British Isles, Iceland, Greenland, a considerable part of Spain, the eastern part of Portugal, and part of Southern France. The imperialist air force is extending the range of operations of its bombers, and is bombing Paris, Brussels, Milan, Amsterdam, Rome, Casablanca, and Algiers. 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 imperialist armies? Is it really true that American imperialist troops are invincible, as is ceaselessly trumpeted by the defeatists and enemy 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 and German armies. Abdderrahman's Army was also considered invincible, but it was smashed by the Frankish forces under Martel.
The same must be said of Roosevelt's American imperialist army today. This army had not yet met with serious resistance. Only on our territory has it met serious resistance. And if, as a result of this resistance, the finest divisions of Roosevelt's American imperialist 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 Abdderrahman.
As to part of our territory having nevertheless been seized by American imperialist troops, this is chiefly due to the fact that the war of imperialist America on the USSR began under conditions favorable for the American forces and unfavorable for Soviet forces. The fact of the matter is that the troops of America, as a country at war, were already fully mobilized, and the divisions hurled by America against the USSR 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 still to effect mobilization and move up to the frontier.
The Soviet Battleship Lenin is hunted down and destroyed before it can interrupt the flow of men and material into mainland Europe.
MacArthur's army drives into Southern France. Soviet propaganda called on the French to “remember the example set by your illustrious ancestor Martel” and resist the American advance by any means available.
The Soviet Battleships Gangut and Petropavlosk attempted to intercept a convoy. The transports escaped during the night without a single loss. The a carrier task force tracked down and destroyed the Gangut and the Petropavlosk the following afternoon.
What has imperialist America gained and what has she lost by treacherously attacking the USSR? She has 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 blood-thirsty aggressor. There can be no doubt that this short-lived military gain for America is only an episode, while the tremendous moral gain of the USSR is a serious lasting factor that is bound to form the basis for development of decisive military successes of the Red Army in the war with imperialist America.
That is why our whole valiant Red Army, our whole valiant Navy, all our falcons of the air, all the peoples of our country, all the finest men and women of Europe, Africa and Asia, finally all the finest men and women of the Americas--condemn the treacherous acts of America imperialists 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—American imperialism. Our troops are fighting heroically against an enemy armed to the teeth with tanks and aircraft. Overcoming innumerable difficulties, the Red Army and Red 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. The 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 are rising in defense of our native land.
The Soviet air force continues their attack on England with disastrous consequences.
The first major Soviet Counter attack briefly threatens Stillwell's army. General Konev's hasty attack was doomed because of a lack of armor and American air superiority.
By the end of June the Canadians had liberated Madrid and the Americans would soon enter Lisbon.
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 should 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 oil secured by our labor. He is out to restore the rule of landlords, to restore Tsarism, to destroy national culture and the national state existence of the Russians, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, English, Welsh, Basques, Scots, French, Germans, Indians, Scandinavians and the other free people of the Soviet Union, to Americanize them, to convert them into the slaves of American robber barons. Thus the issue is one of life or death for the Soviet State, for the peoples of the USSR; the issue is whether the 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 bases, 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 fight and must selflessly join our patriotic war of liberation, our war against the capitalist enslavers. Lenin, the great founder of our State, used to say that the chief virtue of the Bolshevik 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 the millions of the Red Army, of the Red Navy, of all peoples of the Soviet Union. 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 the demolition of the enemy.
The people of the Soviet Union now see that there is no taming of American imperialism in its savage fury and hatred of our country which has ensured all working people labor in freedom and prosperity. The peoples of the World 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 peoples.
We must organize all-round assistance for the Red Army, ensure powerful reinforcements for its ranks and the supply of everything it requires, we must organize the 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 this cause. All our industries must 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; we must exterminate spies, defeatists and enemy parachutists.
We must bear in mind that the enemy is crafty, unscrupulous, experienced in deception and the 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 hauled before the military tribunal. In case of forced retreat of Red Army units, all rolling stock must be evacuated, the enemy must not be left a single engine, a single railway car, not a single pound of grain or a gallon of fuel.
The collective farmers must drive off all their cattle, and turn over their grain to the safe-keeping 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 on foot, must be formed, diversionist groups must be organized to combat the enemy troops, to foment guerrilla warfare everywhere, to blow up bridges and roads, damage telephone and telegraph lines, set fire to forests, stores, transports. In the 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.
The first Soviet Armored divisions were observed trickling into France in early July.
Konev launches another attack on Stillwell's army. Stillwell is outnumbered by almost 4 to one odds but manages to hold on desperately as Macarthur organizes a counterattack.
Macarthur's counterattack is successful and 3 Soviet divisions are encircled and destroyed in Pau
This war with imperialist America 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 American imperialist forces. The aim of this sacred war in defense of our country against the capitalist oppressors is not only elimination of the danger hanging over our country, but also aid to all peoples groaning under the yoke of American imperialism.
In this war of liberation we shall not be alone. In this great war we shall have loyal allies in the peoples of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, including the American people who are enslaved by the capitalist despots. Our war for the freedom of our country will merge with the struggle of the peoples of the Americas for their independence, for democratic liberties. It will be a united front of peoples standing for freedom and against enslavement and threats of enslavement by Roosevelt's imperialist armies.
Comrades, our forces are numberless. The overweening enemy will soon learn this to his cost. Side by side with the Red Army many thousands of workers, collective farmers, intellectuals are rising to fight the enemy aggressor. The masses of our people will rise up in their millions. The working people of Marseilles and Lisbon have already 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 enemy invasion, all working people must be roused to defend our freedom, our honor, our country--in our patriotic war against American imperialism.
In order to ensure the 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 upon its functions and calls upon all people to rally around the Party of Lenin-Stalin and around the Soviet Government, so as to self-denyingly support the Red Army and Navy, demolish the enemy and secure victory.
All our forces for support of our heroic Red Army and our glorious Red Navy! All forces of the people--for the demolition of the enemy!
Forward, to our victory!
-Broadcast to the people of the Soviet Union July 3, 1944 Stalin
The perfidious military attack on our Fatherland, begun on June 8th by America, is continuing. In spite of the heroic resistance of the Red Army, and although the enemy's finest divisions and finest air force units have already been smashed and have met their doom on the field of battle, the enemy continues to push forward, hurling fresh forces into the attack. Roosevelt's troops have succeeded in capturing the British Isles, Iceland, Greenland, a considerable part of Spain, the eastern part of Portugal, and part of Southern France. The imperialist air force is extending the range of operations of its bombers, and is bombing Paris, Brussels, Milan, Amsterdam, Rome, Casablanca, and Algiers. 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 imperialist armies? Is it really true that American imperialist troops are invincible, as is ceaselessly trumpeted by the defeatists and enemy 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 and German armies. Abdderrahman's Army was also considered invincible, but it was smashed by the Frankish forces under Martel.
The same must be said of Roosevelt's American imperialist army today. This army had not yet met with serious resistance. Only on our territory has it met serious resistance. And if, as a result of this resistance, the finest divisions of Roosevelt's American imperialist 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 Abdderrahman.
As to part of our territory having nevertheless been seized by American imperialist troops, this is chiefly due to the fact that the war of imperialist America on the USSR began under conditions favorable for the American forces and unfavorable for Soviet forces. The fact of the matter is that the troops of America, as a country at war, were already fully mobilized, and the divisions hurled by America against the USSR 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 still to effect mobilization and move up to the frontier.
The Soviet Battleship Lenin is hunted down and destroyed before it can interrupt the flow of men and material into mainland Europe.
MacArthur's army drives into Southern France. Soviet propaganda called on the French to “remember the example set by your illustrious ancestor Martel” and resist the American advance by any means available.
The Soviet Battleships Gangut and Petropavlosk attempted to intercept a convoy. The transports escaped during the night without a single loss. The a carrier task force tracked down and destroyed the Gangut and the Petropavlosk the following afternoon.
What has imperialist America gained and what has she lost by treacherously attacking the USSR? She has 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 blood-thirsty aggressor. There can be no doubt that this short-lived military gain for America is only an episode, while the tremendous moral gain of the USSR is a serious lasting factor that is bound to form the basis for development of decisive military successes of the Red Army in the war with imperialist America.
That is why our whole valiant Red Army, our whole valiant Navy, all our falcons of the air, all the peoples of our country, all the finest men and women of Europe, Africa and Asia, finally all the finest men and women of the Americas--condemn the treacherous acts of America imperialists 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—American imperialism. Our troops are fighting heroically against an enemy armed to the teeth with tanks and aircraft. Overcoming innumerable difficulties, the Red Army and Red 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. The 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 are rising in defense of our native land.
The Soviet air force continues their attack on England with disastrous consequences.
The first major Soviet Counter attack briefly threatens Stillwell's army. General Konev's hasty attack was doomed because of a lack of armor and American air superiority.
By the end of June the Canadians had liberated Madrid and the Americans would soon enter Lisbon.
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 should 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 oil secured by our labor. He is out to restore the rule of landlords, to restore Tsarism, to destroy national culture and the national state existence of the Russians, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, English, Welsh, Basques, Scots, French, Germans, Indians, Scandinavians and the other free people of the Soviet Union, to Americanize them, to convert them into the slaves of American robber barons. Thus the issue is one of life or death for the Soviet State, for the peoples of the USSR; the issue is whether the 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 bases, 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 fight and must selflessly join our patriotic war of liberation, our war against the capitalist enslavers. Lenin, the great founder of our State, used to say that the chief virtue of the Bolshevik 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 the millions of the Red Army, of the Red Navy, of all peoples of the Soviet Union. 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 the demolition of the enemy.
The people of the Soviet Union now see that there is no taming of American imperialism in its savage fury and hatred of our country which has ensured all working people labor in freedom and prosperity. The peoples of the World 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 peoples.
We must organize all-round assistance for the Red Army, ensure powerful reinforcements for its ranks and the supply of everything it requires, we must organize the 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 this cause. All our industries must 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; we must exterminate spies, defeatists and enemy parachutists.
We must bear in mind that the enemy is crafty, unscrupulous, experienced in deception and the 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 hauled before the military tribunal. In case of forced retreat of Red Army units, all rolling stock must be evacuated, the enemy must not be left a single engine, a single railway car, not a single pound of grain or a gallon of fuel.
The collective farmers must drive off all their cattle, and turn over their grain to the safe-keeping 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 on foot, must be formed, diversionist groups must be organized to combat the enemy troops, to foment guerrilla warfare everywhere, to blow up bridges and roads, damage telephone and telegraph lines, set fire to forests, stores, transports. In the 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.
The first Soviet Armored divisions were observed trickling into France in early July.
Konev launches another attack on Stillwell's army. Stillwell is outnumbered by almost 4 to one odds but manages to hold on desperately as Macarthur organizes a counterattack.
Macarthur's counterattack is successful and 3 Soviet divisions are encircled and destroyed in Pau
This war with imperialist America 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 American imperialist forces. The aim of this sacred war in defense of our country against the capitalist oppressors is not only elimination of the danger hanging over our country, but also aid to all peoples groaning under the yoke of American imperialism.
In this war of liberation we shall not be alone. In this great war we shall have loyal allies in the peoples of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, including the American people who are enslaved by the capitalist despots. Our war for the freedom of our country will merge with the struggle of the peoples of the Americas for their independence, for democratic liberties. It will be a united front of peoples standing for freedom and against enslavement and threats of enslavement by Roosevelt's imperialist armies.
Comrades, our forces are numberless. The overweening enemy will soon learn this to his cost. Side by side with the Red Army many thousands of workers, collective farmers, intellectuals are rising to fight the enemy aggressor. The masses of our people will rise up in their millions. The working people of Marseilles and Lisbon have already 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 enemy invasion, all working people must be roused to defend our freedom, our honor, our country--in our patriotic war against American imperialism.
In order to ensure the 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 upon its functions and calls upon all people to rally around the Party of Lenin-Stalin and around the Soviet Government, so as to self-denyingly support the Red Army and Navy, demolish the enemy and secure victory.
All our forces for support of our heroic Red Army and our glorious Red Navy! All forces of the people--for the demolition of the enemy!
Forward, to our victory!
-Broadcast to the people of the Soviet Union July 3, 1944 Stalin
