LENIN AND THE SOVIET PEOPLE'S PATRIOTIC WAR

Zinaida Smirnova

VLADIMIR LENIN, the great teacher, leader of the Soviet people and founder of the Bolshe­vik Party and the Soviet State, died twenty years ago. Two decades have elapsed since Lenin's death and the historic significance of Len­in's works and the powerful, creative role of Lenin's teachings have been revealed to the peoples over the whole world.

In two decades of progress along the road which is pointed out by Lenin and under the leadership of Stalin, Lenin's friend, comrade-in­ arms and continuer of his cause, the Soviet people have transformed their country into a great power. During the historic struggle of the freedom-loving peoples against the bitterest enemy of mankind, Ger­man fascism, it has fallen to the Soviet Union to stand the hardest trials with which history has ever confronted any· peoples or states. In the course of the grim war,the Soviet State, which was brought into being by the genius of Lenin and Stalin, has revealed its invincible power. Withstanding the most trying ordeals, overcoming tremendous difficulties, the Soviet State has been further strengthened in the course of the war.

The successful struggle of  the So­viet people and its Red Army has shown to the world the great signifi­cance of Lenin's work, as  founder and inspirer  of  the  Soviet  power. The greatest successes which have been achieved  by  the  Soviet  Union in the  present  war,  the  severest  of all wars in history, afford striking evidence of the correctness of  the path pointed out by Lenin to the peoples of the Soviet country, testi­mony of the  strength  and the  vital­ity  of  Lenin's  historic beginnings.

Lenin founded the  Soviet  State and this state became a great pro­gressive power and a mighty bul­ wark of the happiness and Uie glory of the peoples of the Soviet Union. The Soviet State's structure  has  been· built on the principles of a broad and a consistent policy of democracy, which has ensured the unprecedente4 development of the creative forces of the Soviet  peoples.

Carrying Lenin's teachings into practice, the peoples of the Soviet country, led by Stalin, radically changed    the   appearance   of   their country,   built   up      a powerful   in­dustry and collective agriculture, equipped with the most modern ma­chinery.

The Soviet system revealed itself not only as the best form of organization for the economic and cultural development of the country during the period of peaceful construction, but also as the best form of mobilization of the national forces for the struggle against foreign, invaders. 

Soviet power enjoys the greatest support of all Soviet peoples, for it is truly a people's power, express-ing the will of the people and real-izing its desires and aspirations. 

The Soviet system has withstood with honor all the tests of war and· has revealed itself as a most stable state system. 

Lenin founded the Bolshevik Party and this party became . the leading and guiding force of the Soviet people, the powerful organizer of all of its forces and inspired all its varied endeavors. The party of Lenin and Stalin gave leadership to the colossal effort of the Soviet people for the transformation of their country during the years of peaceful construction. It roused the peoples of the Soviet Union to the just, patriotic ·war, mobilized the energy of millions of Soviet people, directing their efforts toward one aim, the winning of victory over the enemy. 

Under its leadership, the Soviet people are successfully coping with the difficulties of the war. Soviet patriots, reared by the Bolshevik Party, have revealed in the war examples of mass heroism and legendary exploits, unknown to history. 

Not a single party in the world enjoys the prestige and the confidence of the people as does the Bol-shevik Party. From history and experience, millions of Soviet people have learned that the Bolshevik Party represents the people's mind and will. 

The war has witnessed still further strengthening of the contact between the party and the people, further strengthening the people's love and confidence in the party of Lenin and Stalin. Lenin laid the foundations for the greatest friend-ship of the peoples of the Soviet country, and this friendship has be-come the might and source of the strength of the Soviet Union. It is one of the cornerstones of the sup-porting might of the lands of the Soviets. 

For the first time in the world, the great principles of freedom and the equality of all nationalities comprising a state can be found embodied in the Union of Soviet Republics. The strength of the fraternity of the peoples has facilitated the progress of the Soviet State during the years of peaceful construction, transforming the Soviet Union into an invincible fortress in war-time. The friendship of the peoples of the Soviet Union has withstood all the hardships and · trials of war and has been still further strengthened in the common struggle of the Soviet people against the fascist invaders. 

Lenin founded a strong alliance between the working class and the peasantry, which has now been further strengthened on the fronts of this patriotic war against the Ger-man invaders and in the selfless labor in the rear.

The Soviet State represents the friendly cooperation between the working class, the peasantry and the intelligentsia. 

Lenin organized the Red Army, which became a loyal defender of the Soviet Union, the beloved child of the Soviet people in the struggle against foreign invaders during the early years of the existence of So-viet power. The Red Army defended the honor, freedom and the independence of its native land and the right of the peoples of the Soviet country to mold their life as was taught by the great Lenin. 

The mighty army of the free Soviet people became a force against which the raging avalanche of the fascist armies has smashed itself. The peoples the world over will never forget the historic battle at Moscow, when the Red Army debunked the myth about the invincibility of German troops. 

The great battle of Stalingrad marked the end of the German fascist army and will go down .as a symbol of the shining glory of Soviet arms. 

The year 1943 for the Red Army was like an irresistible wave, which was washing away the foreign scum from its native land and swept hundreds of kilometers westward, trampling the prestige of German arms and forever burying German hopes for defeating the Soviets, it will go -down in history as the year of great victories for the Soviet people. 

The Red Army founded by Lenin and led by Marshal Stalin has emerged with honor from these grim trials.

Relying on the strong Soviet rear and backed by the affection and the solicitude of the entire Soviet people, the Red Army became tempered and strengthened in the greatest battles of this patriotic war and has acquired fighting experience. 

In the person of Stalin, the Red Army has a great army. leader who has brilliantly developed Soviet military science, educated a galaxy of talented Soviet generals who have successfully realized the correctness of the strategic plans of the Supreme High Command. 

Understanding the noble aims for which the Red Army is waging war, mass heroism and readiness to go to death for the freedom of their country were born in the ranks of the Red Army. Strengthened and hardened in battle, armed with first-rate equipment and having learned to hit the enemy without missing, thanks to its high morale, its soldiers and officers are supremely de-voted to its people and the Red Army is now the most powerful, seasoned modern army. 

During the past year, the Red Army has brought about a radical change in the course of the war. Great victories have been won by the Red Army which have drastically worsened the economic, political and military situation of fascist Germany, confronting her with catastrophe. 

The Soviet Union is shouldering the main brunt of the struggle against the Hitlerite fascist hordes, which menace all the great achievements of mankind and the very existence of free peoples. By its heroic struggle against the fascist enslavers, the Soviet Union has w􀀁m international prestige and the deep respect of all the democratic peoples and countries. 

The powerful anti-Hitlerite coalition, led by the great world powers, Great Britain, the U.S.S.R. and the United States, has been formed and strengthened in the course of the war. 

The recent conference of the lead-ers of the three Allied powers in Teheran gave striking evidence of the steadily growing stability of the Anglo-Soviet-American fighting alliance, which is constantly broad-ening the collaboration of the three great powers. The historic decisions of this conference testify to the unbending determination of the Al-lied powers to strike joint blows at the enemy. 

The conference has approved of plans and dates of the decisive operations which are aimed at the destruction of the German armed forces. The victory of the Allied countries over the common enemy has been brought nearer, while the Hitlerite cause is irrevocably lost.

The Soviet people have received the decisions of the Teheran confrence with the greatest satisfaction and are mobilizing their forces to win complete victory over the German invaders. The peoples of the Soviet country know that the destiny of generations is being decided in the great battles of this patriotic war. 

In the Soviet Union's heroic struggle against the Hitlerite invaders, the Soviet people and the Red Army have been inspired by the spirit of the great Lenin, the brilliant teacher of the Soviet people, who gave all of his noble life to the cause of the freedom and the happiness of his people.

Through the thunder of war gleams Lenin's immortal banner, proudly streaming over the land of the Soviets. This banner has been borne by the great Stalin, the leader of the peoples of the Soviet Union and the wise captain of the armed forces of the Soviet country. Under the banner of Lenin, led by Stalin, the people are marching toward victory.

Zinaida Smirnova