Speech of Yiannakis Colocasides, member of the C.C. of AKEL, on the 70th Anniversary of the Anti-fascist Victory

 

8th May 2015, Pafos

 

I want to warmly congratulate the District Organisations of AKEL and EDON Youth Organisation in Pafos, who took the initiative to organize this event. The Day of Antifascist Victory is an anniversary of great importance. It conveys multiple and timeless messages. It keeps memory and conscience awake, indeed at a time when many circles and forces are doing their upmost to denigrate and for everything to be forgotten. The establishment of 9th of May as supposedly “Europe Day” is also part of this shameful campaign.

Dear comrades,

In the summer of 1939 the clouds of war gathered ominously over the European continent. Humanity stood in awe of the on-going developments hoping for a miracle, even at the last minute. But developments unfortunately had taken their course. The historic opportunity to avoid the enormous massacre was lost. It had been sacrificed for the sake of impious interests.

On 1st September 1939 Hitler invades Poland. So begins the most frightening nightmare humanity has ever known in its long history. 72 countries and 110 million people were swept in the storm of the war.

When, after 2,192 days, the carnage came to an end, humanity could not have comprehended the magnitude of the catastrophe: over 56 million people dead and incalculable material damage. For the first time the civilian population paid such a heavy price in blood. The Holocaust is an indelible stigma and stain on human civilization. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, at a time when the war was for all intents and purposes over, were also a stigma for human civilisation. The antifascist victory of the peoples came after the carnage of sacrifices and untold human suffering. And to think that all this could have been avoided…

At this point we should nonetheless make a brief reference to the years between the wars.

In the First World War two powerful imperialist camps had clashed. On the one hand the Allies composed mainly of the British and French and on the other, the Central Powers with Germany and Austria-Hungary as the main forces. Both camps declared that they were fighting for noble ideals and values. One camp for democracy, the other for civilisation! In reality the peoples were led to a slaughter for the sake of imperialist interests in the name of one camp prevailing over the other for the division of the world. The end of the war saw the British and French come out as victors.

The war however also reserved an unexpected development for the ruling classes of the bourgeois states. In Russia the great October Socialist Revolution was victorious, where for the first time in history the workers were masters of their own destiny. This momentous event changed the course of history.

The winners of the First World War forced Germany to yield. However they did not drain and exhaust her. They temporarily pulled Germany out from the imperialist competitive game, but made sure to give the German bourgeois state as much help and allow it to have that much power, that would be enough to crush the socialist revolution in Germany and to become the bulwark against the so-called communist danger. The imperialists of the West intended Germany to play the role of a spearhead in the war they were preparing against the land of the Soviets.

Therefore throughout the 1920’s, and especially after the Nazis seized power, the victors of the First World War will prove to be very generous. They tolerated, financed, helped and encouraged Hitler. In short, they would create a monster to be turned against the Soviet Union. Does this story remind us of something from today’s global reality? Currently we have exactly the same sinful scenario. Monsters are being financed, trained and organized to overthrow regimes not to the liking of the imperialists of America and the EU. Eventually, these monsters are turning against them, against the peoples and against civilization. History has failed to teach lessons, simply because the imperialist interests for the control of the wealth and energy resources are more powerful than history’s lessons.

However, let us return to the events between the two world wars. With US dollars the economy of Germany was reconstructed and modernized with the latest technology. The Western forces tolerated, if not encouraged and helped, the rise of Hitler fascism to power, as they did as well in Italy, Hungary, Spain and Portugal, and in all the Balkan countries, including Greece. Despite the prohibitive clauses in the Treaty of Versailles, with which the First World War ended, they allowed Hitler to reorganize the German army, create a navy and an air force. With US dollars they once again set up Germany’s war industry. And as the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill himself admitted, “We the British and the rest of the civilized world so silly, thoughtlessly, so absurdly allowed the Nazi gangsters to build from scratch, year after year, a formidable war machine.”

They even permitted the Nazis to occupy the Rhineland, the Saar and Austria. They sacrificed Czechoslovakia through the shameful Munich agreement. “If we,” admitted Lord Halifax, “had ordered Hitler to retreat after his invasion of the Rhineland, his future strength will have dissipated by then.” They did not do so however because they wanted to use this war machine against the Soviet Union.

They therefore created a monster, which at the given time however they would not be able to control and which will turn first against them because German imperialism, having stood on its feet, was not satisfied to play the role of a secondary power which the Western forces intended her to fulfil. And when Germany felt strong enough it demanded the re-division of the world.

Was the Second World War however inevitable? For sure, the contradictions between the imperialist powers led to a new conflict between them. But with the existence of the Soviet Union and a strong anti-fascist movement growing in Europe, things could take a different turn had of course the capitalists in England, France and the United States realized from the beginning the danger of fascism; had they viewed from the outset in the Hitler fascism the mortal enemy and not a potential ally against the Soviet Union; had anticommunism not blinded them; had they responded to the continuous proposals put forth by the Soviet leadership to forge an Hitler alliance; had all this been done the tragedy of the Second World War could have been prevented. Unfortunately, History is not written by “ifs” and “had this…”.

 

Dear friends,

What was not achieved before the war was fortunately achieved during the war. The collapse of France, the air and naval war against Britain, the Hitler fascist attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 and the air attack of Japanese militarism against the United States at Pearl Harbour changed the situation. The anti-communism of the ruling classes in the West retreated in view of the need to confront the common enemy, namely the Axis powers. Subsequently, the anti-Hitler alliance was established which was also the reason for the victory over Hitler fascism. With its forces united, democratic humanity, waged together the battle against Hitler fascism and managed to crush it.

Of course at this point we must point out that the Western forces during the war and despite the establishment of the anti-Hitler alliance, were constantly flirting with the idea of ​​shattering both Germany and the Soviet Union, so that at the end of the war the Anglo-Americans would determine the fate of the post-war world. As a result of this approach, the opening of the second front in Western Europe was delayed by about three years. The landing in Normandy took place when it became obvious that the Soviet army had the power – even on its own – to liberate the whole of Europe.

Notwithstanding the above remarks, we recognize and honour the contribution of each country of the anti-Hitler coalition. We bow our heads before the sacrifices of every nation that fought and resisted the evil forces of the Axis powers. And of course we recognize the great contribution of the United States, Britain and France in the crushing of the Axis powers.

We recognize and honour the contributions and sacrifices of relatively small countries like Greece which in the Albanian mountains recorded the first victory over fascism and sent the message that fascism is not invincible.

We recognize and honour still the resistance of the peoples under occupation to fascism who through their political and guerrilla partisan struggles created a big front behind the enemy lines of the fascist forces, forcing them to keep an army of more than one million troops in the occupied countries.

We recognize and honour the struggles and sacrifices of German anti-fascists – with the German communists in the frontline of struggle – who waged the most difficult and hardest struggle of all.

Heroic battles of crucial importance were waged on all fronts of the war: on the Eastern and Western Front; the Italian Peninsula and the Balkans; In North Africa, Manchuria, China and South East Asia; in the Pacific Ocean.

However, it would be wrong for the recognition of all these struggles to lead to levelling. The contribution of all forces no matter how valuable it was did have its variations. This is the reason why we will not tire of stating that the brunt of the war was shouldered by the Soviet Union and the biggest sacrifices were made by the great and heroic Soviet people. The world owes its victory over Hitler fascism primarily to the Soviet Union and the Red Army.

When the whole of Europe was under the boot of Hitler fascism, the world’s hopes turned to the Soviet Union. Breathless, humanity watched the development of the war on the Soviet-German front. Outside Moscow the myth of the supposedly invincibility of the German army was shattered. In Stalingrad, the flow of the war changed course. In Kursk the battle there signalled the beginning of the end, and in Berlin the Soviet army wrote the epilogue of Nazism. One can speak for hours about the importance of the eastern front. Instead of an analysis, let numbers and figures do the talking. Around 35% to 75% of the strength of the German army in the years 1941 to 1944 was deployed on the eastern front. The Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Stalingrad took place almost simultaneously. In the former 258, 000 people from both camps took part. In the battle of Stalingrad 2 million people from both camps took part. The numbers themselves prove what the main theatre of the war was and where the war was really decided.

The Soviet people made the greatest sacrifice. Of the total of about 56 million dead of the Second World War, more than 21 million were Soviet people. Of those, almost 8 million were civilians who died from the hardships of war or were killed by the bombing, or died of hunger in the Leningrad that was under siege, or were victims of Nazi atrocities. 80% of the 1923 class of young people never returned home…

During the war the Soviet people wrote pages of unparalleled heroism. The defenders of the border fortress of Brest were still battling for days until every one of them were killed and while the Germans had marched hundreds of kilometres into Soviet territory. The defenders of Moscow celebrated the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution parade in Red Square and subsequently marched directly to the front line of the war. In the battle of Stalingrad Sergeant Pavlof with his platoon resisted, alone and excluded in a building, for 59 whole days! Mass heroism was shown by the cut-off residents of Leningrad who did not surrender and yield neither to hunger, nor the cold. These people had the mental strength in the dark nights of exclusion to attend concerts of Shostakovich.

Where did the Soviet people find this strength? For sure, love for the homeland and freedom was a big moral incentive that enforced its endurance and fighting spirit. It relived the heroic traditions of the war against Napoleon. However, now it was fighting for a different country, namely the socialist homeland. It was the first socialist country in the world, despite the difficulties and adversities it gave dignity and pride to its citizens; it gave unprecedented rights, developed civilization and culture. The Soviet people had a thousand reasons to defend this socialist homeland, even at the cost of their lives.

Hitler and his followers in sending their hordes against the Soviet Union had the illusion that this would provoke an anti-communist revolt. However, they were disproved miserably. They fell victims of their own anti-communist propaganda. The invading forces of Hitler fascism did indeed provoke a real uprising, but not an anti-communist uprising. It provoked a patriotic uprising of the Soviet peoples for the salvation of the socialist homeland. “Rise up vast country. Rise up in a battle of life and death with fascism. For our beloved land, for our great Union!” These are the lyrics of the song that was written in one night, the night of the German invasion.

Of course there were indeed those despicable traitors too who blinded by anti-communist hatred collaborated with the Nazis. Their ideological descendants are now in power in Ukraine and elsewhere, under the protection of the supposedly democratic EU.

In a war, and indeed such as the one of the Soviet-German front, mental strength alone is not enough to be victorious. You also need the power to organize the common superhuman effort; to be inspired by its ideals; to lead by example. And this force and power was none other than the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Party of Lenin. The Party undertook the entire burden of organizing the war effort in the front and in the rear. In a gigantic operation 1,523 factories were dismantled in the threatened western regions and transferred deep into the rear, in Siberia and the Central Asian Republics. There, these factories were set up again and quickly began producing war material. Everyone and everything was working in coordination for the front. In Stalingrad the superior firepower of the invaders was overturned. And at Kursk the superior firepower of the Soviets was obvious.

The Party was not only the organizer of the victory. It was also its initiator and inspiration. The Communists were at the forefront of the struggle. They showed and led the way with and through their example. Two million Party members sacrificed their lives fighting Hitler fascism. They always honoured card of the member of the Party was an extremely heavy responsibility in those glorious days.

The resistance of the peoples under occupation was an open front to the rear of the occupiers which forced them, as we said, to keep an army of more than one million soldiers in these countries. The damage suffered by the Hitler fascist forces because of the national resistance of the peoples, but above all the moral damage caused to them, was one of the most important factors that led to the final victory over fascism. The political and guerrilla partisan struggle combined perfectly. In most countries the patriotic anti-fascist forces together in one single anti-fascist fronts were continuing the glorious tradition of inter-war fascist fronts. Who can deny the pivotal role played by the Communist Parties and the Communists in the National Resistance of the peoples? Almost everywhere the Communists took the initiative in their hands and were at the forefront of the resistance. From the mountains of Greece, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria to Italy, France, Czechoslovakia and everywhere, the Communists were the heart and soul of the resistance.

For all these reasons, we reject with disgust the on-going scrupulous equation of communism with fascism within the European Union. This is an insult to the millions of the dead and the greatest distortion of history.

Concluding my reference to the Second World War I must stress emphatically that the great Antifascist Victory gave a tremendous impetus to the national-liberation forces of the people and the forces of social progress, resulting in the picture of the post-war world changing radically. The United Nations was created. The community of socialist countries appeared. The colonial system collapsed and dozens of new independent states were born. The cause of democracy, freedom and human rights around the world was strengthened.

 

Comrades,

 

Dear friends,

I will not go into the contribution of Cyprus and AKEL to the anti-Hitler war. We will have the chance to see it in the documentary that had been prepared by our late memorable comrade Rolandos Katsiaounis on behalf of the Association of Veteran Fighters of the Second World War.

Very briefly, I will only dwell on two points. AKEL in its founding assembly held in the village of Skarinou in April 1941, proclaims that it is on the side of the democratic anti-Hitler and anti-fascist camp. Two months later, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. It is therefore another propaganda lie of the Right-wing that AKEL remembered fascism only after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. I also want to recall the decision of 16th June 1943 which addressed verbatim the following appeal: “all members of the Party should enlist voluntarily in the armed forces to reinforce the struggle for the liberation of Greece from the Hitler tyranny, for the liberation of the enslaved countries and ensure the national, political and social future of the Island.”

This sent out three clear messages – patriotic, national and internationalist – whilst also warning the English colonialists that the members of AKEL fighting fascism aspire and will struggle for the future national, political and social liberation of the people of Cyprus.

 

Comrades,

 

Today, 70 years after the anti-fascist victory we are not living a third world war. We are living the horror of tens of local and peripheral wars caused chiefly by imperialism, which wants to control the world and inter-imperialist contradictions. Therefore, the one who really wants to struggle against war and for peace can only simultaneously be struggling against imperialism and for the socialist future of the world.

Today, 70 years after the crushing defeat of Hitler fascism is raising its head in various forms. This is why national and multinational capital needs the reserve force of fascism in their battle against the workers movement. With all of the variations caused by all these decades, the root cause is the same. Fascism is the most brutal child of capitalism. Consequently, the struggle against fascism ultimately also means a struggle against the system itself which generates and needs it.

 

AKEL, as always, is at the forefront of the struggle against fascism, against the exploitation in any form, or real peace, genuine democracy and socialism.

 

– Long live the antifascist victory of the peoples!

 

– Honour and glory to those who fought fascism!

 

– Eternal glory and honour to those who fell fighting fascism!