Speeches at the Reception for Deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in the Kremlin, January 20, 1938

Stalin. Comrades, there is no shortage of fine, heroic men among our people, of course. We have a great many talents, abilities, geniuses, I would say, hidden away somewhere in the corners. Sooner or later they will undoubtedly make themselves known. And so, there are many fine men and heroes among our Soviet peoples. Only a part of them is known to us. They exist in the field of industry -- the fine Stakhanovite heroes -- in agriculture, in aviation, as far as records are concerned. But there is one field that, before all others, gave us heroes who resounded throughout the length and breadth of our country during the period of the intervention, when we, the Soviet state, were surrounded by enemies on all sides, when, as the saying goes, fourteen states mounted an attack against the young Soviet state, when this attack was repelled by us, when the interventionists were thrown into the sea. And so, this field that was the first to give us fine heroes is the military field. I drink to the heroes of our Civil War! (Those present mount a fervent ovation in honor of the heroes of the Civil War. Prolonged cries of "Hurrah!" and "Long live the heroes of the Civil War!" The leaders of the party and government salute Comrades Budyonny, Yegorov, Shaposhnikov, Gorodovikov, Kulik, and others.)

And so, to all the military heroes of the era of the Soviet state's struggle for its existence, to the heroes of the Civil War, to those heroes who were the first heroes and about whom people are now silent, but who will yet make themselves heard again!

To the heroes of the Civil War! (Stormy, prolonged applause)

* * *

Chkalov. Comrades, the Russian people, under the leadership of the Communist Party headed by Lenin, on October 25, 1917, overthrew the government of the bourgeoisie, of the capitalists (Stalin -- "Correct").

Twenty years separate us from that memorable date. During these twenty years, to this table, the table of the presidium, quite a few Heroes of the Soviet Union have come, quite a few Stakhanovites have come, people have come of whom Stalin just said that they will yet make themselves known -- the heroes of the Civil War came. (Stormy, prolonged applause)

And only one name among these heroes was not spoken here, one name was forgotten. This name is the brain of our Soviet country, the brain of the bloc of Communists with non-party people, the brain of our Communist Party, the brain of our supreme party organ -- the Politburo -- the name of Comrade Stalin. (Those present mount a stormy ovation in honor of Comrade Stalin.)

* * *

Stalin. Comrades, I did not ask for the floor, but since it has been given to me, I will make use of it. (Noisy applause)

After that contingent of Soviet people whom I called the contingent of heroes of the Civil War -- I love them above all else. After the heroes of the Civil War, I love our pilots most of all. (Fervent applause in honor of Soviet pilots) You must forgive me, comrades, this is my weakness. (Approving laughter, noisy applause) I am prepared to make any concessions, but that our pilots should be offended -- this I cannot allow. (Noisy expressions of approval from all present)

To our falcons, to the pilots, to the people who must be the first to take the blow in the event of war and the last to retreat! To our pilots, so that all of us love them and care for them! (Stormy, prolonged applause)

(Chkalov. We will never retreat before anyone.)

Stalin. Chkalov is mistaken. There are moments when an army must retreat. Lenin taught us -- Lenin, that was a man, whose left little finger we are not worth, a man who was forged entirely of stainless steel -- Lenin taught us: wretched is that army which has learned to advance but has not learned to retreat. All sorts of moments occur, comrades.

What are the Bolsheviks? They are fighters who are the first to go into battle and the last to retreat! (Noisy expressions of approval)

An army that has learned to advance but has not been trained in retreat will be routed. Wretched is that army which has learned to advance but which has not learned to retreat. That is why I said, comrades, following the precept of Comrade Lenin, our teacher, regarding the army. And aviation occupies an exceptional place in the army. That is why, after the heroes of the Civil War, I love pilots most of all. You know this, comrades. You know how I rise up like a tiger so that no one offends our pilots. Pilots must be given everything. After all, a pilot is alone in the sky; his fighting spirit must be high.

To our pilots, who go on the offensive first and who, if necessary, retreat last! (Cries of approval)

Comrade Chkalov, I think we understand each other.

Comrades, to our pilots! (Cries of "Hurrah," noisy applause)

All of us, our entire people, love the pilots and care for them, for our sons.

To the pilots, comrades! (Applause resumes with renewed force)

* * *

Stalin. Comrades, at the risk of finally boring you, I nevertheless want to say a few more words.

When unclear questions arise, I try to bring these questions out into the light of day. And so, about heroes in general, about the heroes of aviation, about those of our heroes who are operating in other countries, conducting a rehearsal for war. But the matter is not limited to aviation alone, comrades. If you look at the history of wars, what decided the great military clashes?

In the old days, of course, there was no aviation. What is aviation? Aviation disrupts the enemy, it disorganizes his plans, his mobilization plans, it instills fear and morally shatters the enemy. That is all very well. But what else is required in order to finish off the enemy? In the final analysis, in war the one who finishes off the enemy is the one with good artillery.

What did Napoleon win with in his wars? Artillery, I assure you! How did the Germans prevail in 1870, how did they defeat the French at Sedan? Artillery, I assure you! What did the Germans use to beat the French or the Russians during the imperialist war? I dare assure you -- artillery. What were the Germans beaten with at Verdun? French artillery. Artillery is a great thing, I assure you. In order to crown the success of cavalry, infantry, aviation -- for all this, artillery is needed. Without artillery, there is no army, there is no victory! Without good artillery, there is no consolidation of military success.

Now you speak of Spain. But there was not only aviation there. There were artillerists, and they carried out extremely interesting experiments in the struggle against the artillery of the Italians and the Germans.

Who directed this business? There he is (referring to G.I. Kulik -- Ed.). He is hiding. But I must give him up to you.

I drink to the proposition that our artillery be first-class, that it be better than German artillery, better than Japanese, better than English artillery (noisy cries -- "Hurrah!"). I drink to the proposition that our artillery, both within the country and abroad, on certain territories remote from our state, should demonstrate its successes, demonstrate that it is the first artillery in the world. (Comrade Stalin's toast is met with stormy applause. Cries: "Long live Soviet artillery, the first in the world! Hurrah!")

RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 11. D. 1121. L. 1-11, 21-22.

Note:
The speeches are given according to the notes of A.A. Khatuntsev. Below is the record of R.P. Khmelnitsky:

"I want to speak about the heroes of the Civil War. To the heroes of the era of the armed struggle for the Soviet state, surrounded by capitalist and imperialist enemies. These heroes I love especially. To those heroes who were in the first ranks of heroes, to those about whom people are now silent but who will soon make themselves heard. We all love and value them. But after these splendid Soviet people, whom I called the heroes of the Civil War and the greater part of whom will yet make themselves known -- I love pilots most of all. You must forgive me for this weakness of mine. (Stormy applause) I am prepared to make any concessions, but to allow them to be offended -- I cannot, and I stand up for them like a tiger.

To the pilots, comrades, who always, without fail, accept battle and are the first to meet the enemy one-on-one, the first to attack and the last to leave, if that is required.

To love for the pilots and to seeing that we always and everywhere care for them. (Stormy applause do not allow Comrade Stalin to continue his speech for a long time)

I am forced to hurry, which means I am getting old. There is one more toast that must be proposed. Among the heroes of labor and the Stakhanovites, there is one group of people -- heroes about whom it was not proper to speak until now. I have in mind our people in Spain and China. (Cries of "hurrah!")

To our fighters in Spain, who are teaching the Spaniards in their struggle against fascism and have taught them a thing or two. (Applause, "hurrah!") They are waging war there, in essence, on foreign territory against German and Italian fascism and its technology. ("Hurrah!!!")

For us Communists, I consider it more comfortable and cheaper to wage such a war. (Applause)

To our fighters in China, who will try to teach the Chinese to beat their enemies, but who have not yet taught them to do so.

In my peasant understanding, it is better to fight in China against the Japanese fascists than in the USSR. (Applause, cries of "hurrah!")

To our people, who are carrying out preliminary preparation. Hurrah!!!

Comrades, you have grounds to say that I have bored you.

We have drunk to the heroes of all branches of work both within our country and to the heroes who are outside our country. That is all very well, but the matter is not limited to aviation alone; in modern war, questions are not decided by aviation alone. That will not work.

If we look into history, it turns out that the decisive role was always played by artillery; aviation appeared on the battlefield comparatively recently. It begins the struggle with the enemy first, in the deep rear, it instills fear and panic, it shakes the enemy morally, but that is not what is required for the final defeat and the achievement of victory over the enemy. It has always been artillery that decided and continues to decide the outcome. What did Napoleon win with? His artillery. What defeated the French at Sedan in 1870? Artillery. What did the Germans use to beat the French and tsarist Russia in the World War? Artillery. What did the French use to beat the Germans at Verdun? Artillery. I assure you, to decide the main issues of war, the most valuable branch of the armed forces is the artillery. (Applause, "hurrah!")

We spoke here of the war in Spain, of the experience and conclusions that our comrades have drawn. Artillery plays the decisive role there, too.

I would like our artillery to demonstrate that it was and will be first-class. (Applause, "hurrah!")

I have, comrades, two more words; I will say nothing strange.

Comrades. There are old states of Europe: England, France, Germany, and one not very old but powerful state -- Japan. I want to touch upon one rather interesting historical fact.

These states believed that they could influence the life and development of other states and countries if they managed to recruit and make their own certain figures in other governments. This is so-called algebra, and I will translate it into arithmetic.

England wished to have its agents in the composition of the Soviet Government, whom it would buy, and through them influence the life and development of the USSR. England also wished to have and does have its agents in the composition of the Japanese, German, and French governments.

Germany would like to have and does have its agents in the composition of the English, French, and Japanese governments and through these agents knows what is happening in those countries and directs their work in its own favor.

Japan also wished to have its agents everywhere and especially here, in the USSR.

Take, for example, the so-called Indian National Congress -- more than half of the composition of this Congress are agents bought by England for money.

I will say in a Russian proverb: "God save us from our 'friends,' and we will deal with our enemies ourselves."

Imagine that in our country, people stood in power who were agents of England, Germany, Japan. Rykov, Bukharin, and the others are agents of Japan, Germany, and England, and we will soon show you this at the forthcoming trial.

Imagine that if these agents had stood in power in the USSR, the policy of the Soviet Government would have followed the wishes and interests of these capitalist and imperialist states.

England, as is well known, claims Azerbaijan, Baku -- the oil. Germany -- Ukraine and the Donbass. France -- Georgia. Japan -- the Maritime Province.

It is now clear how the policy of the old imperialist states is constructed.

I will not touch on America, it is in the other hemisphere, and I will not touch on it.

Our government is composed of elected representatives of the people; it is difficult to recruit them and threaten them -- either you will do what we tell you, that is, carry out our policy, or I will expose you.

We are rich, and the rapacious countries and fascist states have begun to pay attention to us. What means do we have for fighting them? To root out their agents, to root them out -- that is our means of struggle.

(Stormy applause. "Hurrah." Long live Comrade STALIN)

You are all now trying to be vigilant, wherever you work. That is good, but one person works as an economic manager, another in production, a third in a cooperative, a fourth is in trade, a fifth is a propagandist, a sixth an aviator, a seventh a military man -- they are always ready for war but cannot wait for it to come; true, one must prepare when there is no war. (Applause) But we have one organ of vigilance, because in the course of our work we can miss a thing or two. They carry out vigilance for all of us. They must always and everywhere be on guard.

(Applause. Cries of "hurrah" and "Long live Comrade YEZHOV!")

No one can be believed on his word, comrades, I apologize to you, perhaps it is unpleasant, but it is extremely necessary. (Applause)

To the organs of vigilance on an all-Union scale, to the Chekists, from the least to the greatest. We have tens of thousands of Chekist heroes, and they carry on their modest, useful work. To the Chekists, small, medium, and great. (Applause. Cries of "hurrah" and "Long live Comrade YEZHOV!")

...Do not hurry, comrades, haste is a bad thing, sit still, calm down. I propose a toast to all the Chekists and to the organizer and chief of all the Chekists -- Comrade Yezhov.

(Stormy applause)"

(RGASPI F. 558. Op. 11. D. 1121. L. 12-15)