Quotes from Joseph Stalin

Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union.

A cadre must know how to carry out instructions, must understand them, adopt them as his own. attach the greatest importance to them, and make them part of his very existence. Otherwise, politics loses its meaning and consists merely of gesticulating. Hence the decisive importance of the cadres department in the apparatus of the Central Committee. Every functionary must be closely studied, from every angle and in the most minute detail.

Oppose Conspiracism: Translate our analysis into the popular language of the masses when engaging in dialogue, work with the masses directly and openly, build ties to the localities in which one operates.

Oppose Academicism: Reassure ourselves of the revolutionary, popular character of Marxism-Leninism, engage the masses in a revolutionary education that allows the understanding of Marxism, emphasizethe importance of praxis rather than isolated theory or practice.

imperialism carries the contradictions of capitalism to their last bounds, to the extreme limit, beyond which revolution begins. Of these contradictions, there are three which must be regarded as the most important.

Death solves all problems — no man, no problem. Anatoly Rybakov NOT Josef Stalin

This is the way to rule the people. Did you see how that chicken followed me for food, even though I had caused it such torture? People are like that chicken. If you inflict inordinate pain on them they will follow you for food the rest of their lives.

Neither Italian fascism nor German National-"Socialism" has anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society. Primarily, this is because the private ownership of the factories and works, of the land, the banks, transport, etc., has remained intact, and, therefore, capitalism remains in full force in Germany and in Italy.

I admire Trotsky, but for propaganda purposes, we must have someone to hate. Since 1937, we have had no one.

In other words, imperialism was instrumental not only in making the revolution a practical inevitability, but also in creating favourable conditions for a direct assault on the citadels of capitalism.

As you see, the point is not which class today constitutes the majority, or which class is poorer, but which class is gaining strength and which is decaying.

A political army is not like a military army. A military command begins a war with an army ready to hand, whereas the Party has to create its army in the course of the struggle itself, in the course of class conflicts, as the masses themselves become convinced through their own experience that the slogans of the Party, the policy of the Party, are right.

Social Democrats will always protest against persecution of Catholicism or Protestantism; they will always defend the right of nations to profess any religion they please; but at the same time, on the basis of a correct understanding of the interests of the proletariat, they will carry on agitation against Catholicism, Protestantism and the religion of the Orthodox Church in order to achieve the triumph of the socialist world outlook.

The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.

peacetime leaders, who are strong in theory, but weak in matters of organization and practical work. Such leaders are popular only among an upper layer of the proletariat, and then only up to a certain time. When the epoch of revolution sets in, when practical revolutionary slogans are demanded of the leaders, the theoreticians quit the stage and give way to new men.

Sectarianism •The trend defined by a complete refusal to conduct dialogue with other groups or work with them on small projects, following one's own line dogmatically without striving towards one's further education. •To refuse conducting work with other local groups on the grounds of high theoretical differences, to refuse further investigation and cling to superficial understandings, to become an in-group rather than a mass organization.

Conspiracism •The trend that equates the bourgeoisie to an Illuminati-like organization, to see the workings of class society and its contradictions as the conspiratorial actions of the ruling classes rather than as historically and materially-defined processes.

On the other hand, to conduct oneself secretly when the conditions do not call for it, to avoid working with the non-communist masses and therefore refrain from taking a leading role in political work, to operate as an isolated clandestine organization and refuse to see the masses as the motive force of history.

To suppose organization is less important than theory, to apply the Marxist method without focusing on the revolutionary socialist implications, to over-intellectualize Marxism by focusing on its academic applications which only relate to the few who have received an elite education, to not attempt to translate Marxism-Leninism to common language.

Oppose Contrarianism: Take up meaningful polemics against those with whom one disagrees; show, in practice, the efficacy of one's programs; show an openness towards other positions without compromising one's own; oppose other's positions only after a dedicated investigation into them.

The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.

One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.

History shows that there are no invincible armies.

The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of blood for our towns and villages...onward, to victory!