KEY TO THE PUZZLE IN STALIN’S “MEIN KAMPF”

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25179, 9 May 1947, Page 6

KEY TO THE PUZZLE IN STALIN’S “MEIN KAMPF”

RUSSIAN POLICY

LBy Lord HANKEY in the "Sunday Time*. ”) (Reprinted by Arrangement)

In every country people are asking why the Russians, who were such wonderful allies in the war, are not co-operating better in peace. The key to the puzzle lies in Stalins book, "Problems of Leninism,” a translation Of the Russian eleventh edition published, in Moscow ih 1945. This work has been described as Stalin s Mein Kampf," and, as the Nuremberg Judgment said of Hitter’s prototype, ite irnoortance “lies in the unmistakable attitude of aggression revealed throughout its pages ; but with this difference, that Stalin’s aggression is ideological rather than military. Nevertheless the book is disturbing. In 642 ponderous pages of lectures, speeches, and writings is told the story of the Russian Revolution, its basic theories, aims and plans, its trials and troubles, and the strategy and tactics by which they were overcome.. There is much use of military terminology. Marx and Lenta are quoted as holy writ. Humour is rare, but there are digs at Mr Churchill’s “march of the Stalin let himself go when, almost ta Hitler’s vein, he denounces “the Trotsky-Bukharin bunch of spies, assassins and wreckers who khw-towed to the foreign world and two batches of "fiends,’ ’ _"ho were sentenced to be shot in 1987 and 1938 respectively. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat, like the Fascist and Nazi dictatorships, has ite blood baths and purges. World Revolution Stalin envisages the revolution in three phases. The first two cover the period' from its inception in 1903 until October, 1917, when Tsarism and imperialism were overthrown and the Communist dictatorship established. The third stage, from 1917 onwards was devoted to the consolidation of the new regime and its developrrfent as a base for the overthrow of Imnerlalism in all countries. That process is still unfinished, but is an integral part of Lenin’s lay-out, as is shown by the following passage: The overthrow of the power of the bourgeoisie and establishment of the eral countries i® needed. ■ In other quotation* the words to black type become "to all countries. This wa* no short-range policy, Lenin described It »s "an entire historical epoch,” and Stalin adds “reSlete with civil wars and external conicta. With persistent organisational work and Economic construction, W|tn advances and retreats, victories, ana "Sou t WII1 < have V to g?'through !I S, 20. 50 years of civil wars and international conflicts . . . "—not a cheerful prospect! • - Simultaneous support to. revolution everywhere at once was rejected from the first. There must be discrimination, with first priority to proletarian resolutions. But aid to other national movements, if revolutionary in characMr, was not banned. The decision depended “on the actual results obtained as shown by the ger eral bal£^L Bt in Si scribed "the struggle the Egyptian merchants and bourgeois intellectuals are waging for the independence of Egypt” as “objectively a revolutionary struggle.” Every step along the road to

liberation in India and China was S steam-hammer blow at imperialinnf* In 1927 he boasted: w-ansnl Having sown the seeds of revolutkm both in the centre of imperialism as as in its rear, having weakened tS might of imperialism in the mothdZ countries and having shaken its dorninT tion in the colonies, the October Heim' lution has thereby jeopardised the ver» existence of world capitalism as a Although these claims were compleu. Iy refuted by war experience, tIS provide .a useful warning. Social-Democrat politicians come in for much abuse. After quoting Lenta? denunciation of them as “the labour lieutenants of the capitalist claw? Stalin observes: “It is put an end to capitalism without put. ting an end to Social-Democratisnfa the labour movement.” Setbacks to the attack on caniwtta» were foreseen and provided for. a. principle was that strategy within a given stage of the struggle remain* constant, but "tactics change according to the flow and ebb.” In particular "retreats" were prescribed “to geln time, to demoralise the enemy, and? accumulate forces in order to return, the offensive.” These tactics wwi ■ used frequently in the internal struggles with peasants and bournota In foreign affairs Stalin describe, the Brest-Litovsk treaty as “« mtaH 1 of this strategy.” The non-aggraggn pacts with Finland, Poland, foiTtn. mania furnish later examplM. ftobject of there treaties wsi ji .jw-. time, and they were callously hfoKw when convenient. No doubt the agreement of August, 1939, with Hitier fm another “tactical deviation.*- tt' gave Russia the Baltic States and i»if land. Soviet Policy To-dsy That brief summary shows wto, fundamentally, co-operation with Russia is difficult. There is no sign that her policy has changed. Were that the case Stalin’s book would hndb have been published ta 1945. Tfe Russian domination of Eastwn Eurae and the installation of Conununta Governments are consistent with Lenin’s insistence on “th* victory tf the revolution in at least several comtries.” The attempt to hem in Turkey from east and west, linked with the reopening of the question of the Straits, although followed by a tactical retreat to Persia with prospects et another ta Greece, suggest that revolution “in all countries” is still ta the programme. 30, even more, do the Communist activities ta Albania, Italy. France, and Spain. For the moment the risk of War Is rendered slight by economic exhaustion. But on a long view th* situation is dangerous; for ideological aggression, 'if persisted ta, will lend to war. Clearly we must not neglect oar armaments. But we must try to disperse the storm clouds. There are deep-rooted Russian suspicions to be dispelled. Then Russia has to be convinced that she has nothing to ferfr from the socalled "capitalist" Powers, so long aa she leaves other countries alone; but it must be made unmistakably clear that all forms of external aggression will he countered everywhere by deeds as well as words, as in Greece to-day. That will take time, and will need truth, toughness, tact, persistence, and patience, all of which qualities Mr Bevin possesses in abundance.