Page 51 - The Chief Culprit
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Stalin’s Role in Elevating Hitler
If Russia makes peace, this peace will only be temporary. e Socialist Revolution in
Russia will only win when it is surrounded by a ring of sister Socialist republics. A peace
made with imperialist Germany would only be an episodic phenomenon. It will provide
a short break, after which war will boil once again.
—G. Z, COLLECTED WORKS
he year 1927 was when Stalin finally secured and firmly established his place atop the
power structure. From this moment, Stalin’s attention was concentrated not only on
Tfortifying his dictatorship, but on issues of the Communist movement and the World
Revolution. Stalin needed victory in Europe, especially in Germany. For this, he needed to
eliminate three obstacles that were preventing the German revolution. Stalin had to bring
order to the German Communist Party and force it to execute orders coming from Moscow,
establish common borders with Germany, and destroy the German Social Democrats.
Stalin understood better than anyone else that revolution comes as a result of war. War
heightens tensions, ruins economies, and brings nations closer to the fateful limits, beyond
which their ordinary existence ceases to be. In matters of war and peace, he adhered to this
principle: if the Social Democrats, with their pacifism, divert the proletariat’s attention from
revolution and from war that gives birth to revolution, then merciless war must be waged
against the Social Democrats. On November 6, 1927, Stalin sounded the slogan: “It is impos-
sible to finish off capitalism without finishing off the Social Democrats.” In the following
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year, Stalin declared war on Social Democrats to be the main task before the Communists:
“First of all, a tireless struggle against Social Democrats on all lines . . . including exposure of
bourgeois pacifism.” Regarding those who wanted war, for example regarding the “German
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fascists” (Communists did not call them “Nazis” because they did not want their people to
know about the “socialist” and “worker” aspects of the name of Hitler’s party), Stalin’s posi-
tion was clear and rigid: they must be supported. Let the fascists take care of the pacifists and
Social Democrats; let them start a new war. Everyone knows that what follows a big war is
revolution.
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