Stalin's Victory Address
(May 9, 1945)
Comrades! Compatriots, men and women! The Great Day
of Victory over Germany has come. Fascist Germany, forced to her knees
by the Red Army and the troops of our Allies, has acknowledged her defeat
and declared unconditional surrender.
On May 7, the preliminary protocol of surrender was
signed in the city of Rheims. On May 8, representatives of the German
High Command, in the presence of representatives of the Supreme Command
of the Allied troops and of the Supreme Command of the Soviet troops,
signed in Berlin the final act of surrender, the execution of which
began at twenty-four hours, May 8.
Being aware of the wolfish habits of the German ringleaders,
who regard treaties and agreements as an empty scrap of paper, we had
no reason to believe their words. Since this morning, in pursuance of
the act of surrender, German troops in mass have begun to lay down arms
and surrender to our troops.
This is no longer an empty scrap of paper. This is
the real surrender of Germany's armed forces.
True, one group of German troops in the area of Czechoslovakia
is still evading surrender. But I hope the Red Army will be able to
bring it to its senses.
Now we can note with full satisfaction that the historical
day of the final rout of Germany, the Day of the Great Victory of our
people over German imperialism, has come. The great sacrifices we have
made in the name of freedom and our defense of our Motherland, the incalculable
privations and sufferings experienced by our people in the course of
the war, the strained work in the rear and at the front-placed on the
altar of the Motherland-have not been in vain and have been crowned
by complete victory over the enemy.
The age long struggle of the Slav peoples for their
existence and their independence has ended in victory over the German
invaders and the German tyranny. Henceforth, the great banner of freedom
of nations and peace among nations will fly over Europe.
Three years ago Hitler publicly stated that his aims
included the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the wresting of the
Caucasus, the Ukraine, Byelorussia, the Baltic and other regions from
it. He declared bluntly: "We will destroy Russia, so that she will
never be able to rise again." This happened three years ago. However,
Hitler's crazy ideas were not fated to succeed. The course of the war
scattered them to the winds. In actual fact, something directly opposite
to the Hitlerites' ravings has taken place. Germany has been utterly
defeated. The German troops are surrendering. The Soviet Union is celebrating
victory, although it does not intend to dismember or destroy Germany.
Comrades! The Great Patriotic War has ended in our
complete victory. The period of the war in Europe is over. The period
of peaceful development has begun.
I congratulate you upon the victory, my dear compatriots,
men and women!
Glory to our heroic Red Army which upheld the independence
of our Motherland and won victory over the enemy!
Glory to our great people-the victor people!
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the battles
against the enemy and gave their lives for the freedom and happiness
of our people.
Sources: ibiblio |