Inside Russia

INSIDE RUSSIA For the past seven months we have all read more about the German Sov'iet war than about any other single subject. We have followed the military events, the diplomatic side shows, the economic consequences of this struggle. Yet hardly anything is known about one of the two antagonists, the USSR. More than ever Russia appears a strange, mysterious land whioh few understand and many have given up trying to understand. One can read very l·ittle in the press outside Russia about what is goillg on in the Red Empire, f01 there are only a few foreign corre spondents left in Russia. Those who are still there are usually far from the front, and limit themselves mainly to reporting the boastful speeches of Losovsky. Moreover they are too close to events to be able to discern the great developments. But out here there are means of following the inner development of the USSR-the Soviet papers and particularly the Soviet broadcast. By turning the dial of the receiving set and tuning in on the Russian programs of Moscow, Khabarovsk, Irktitsk, Vladivostok, or other stations, yott can keep yottr fingers on the pulse of the Soviet Union. For several months, in fact ever sinc6 it became clear that something new was evolving in the Soviet Union, we have been ca'refully collecting the information gained from p'I'ess a71d radio. In a country such as the Soviet Union the really important events are never obvious. and rarely do the Soviet leaders call them by their r·ight names. It takes knowledge of the USSR and the Russian language as well as a great deal of patie11ce to see the po'ints tvhich matter. In the following pages are the resttlts of our research, results tuhich we cons'ider sensational. But for our rea,de1's to see their sensational character, we must ask them to read with patienoe and not to mind if at first some oj the material presented seems ills'ignificant. lt is not. And to those who make the effort oj thoughtftlily reading through the following pages it will become clear that events are talcing place in the USSR the importance of tvhich, not only for Germany and Europe but for the whole world, goes far beyond anything that has happened in Rio de Janeiro or Dibya. A tragedy of vast dimensions is in the ma'~ing.-K. M. STALIN1S THREE-POINT the Red armies suffered huge de PROGRAM feats. They lost millions of their best soldiers in dead, wounded, Even before the outbreak of the and prisoners. They had to abandon German-Soviet war, the Soviet regime hundl·eds of thousands of square miles was hated by a considerable part of of their most important agricultural the Russian people and the non-Russian and industrial districts. Millions be minorities. Millions of them had had came homeless. At the same time the to suffer through the Bolsheviks. There Germans declared that they were fight are few families in which one or more ing the war only against the Bolshevik members have not in one way or regime, not against the Russian people. another become victims of the Revolu Could the Soviet system stand all tion and the Civil War, of famine this? Would a wave of revolt carry and de-kulakization, of the frequent away the Bolshevist regime and put a "purges" and the constant terror. national Russian government in its Then came the war against Germany place? Would it greet the Germans as with its additional hardships for the liberators from the Bolshevist yoke? population. In the very first months So the world wondered. INSIDE RUSSIA 95 If the USSR were a solidly or at Soviet Government has been working least overwhelmingly Bolshevist coun with feverish and systematic energy at try, these questions would not have the carrying out of this program. arisen. But the world is aware of the What has been achieved so far? fact that the Soviet regime, although it succeeded in winning a large part EVERYBODY MUST FIGHT of the younger generation, has on the whole existed more through the terror First, we have said, there was the of the GPU than the love of its problem of inducing the Germans to citizens. The Bolshevist leaders extend the war to the Russian popula knew that this was the case better tion itself. To achieve this, a plan than anybody else. Hence there was was worked out that was insidiously only one chance for them to remain in clever in its simplicity: one had only the saddle and to continue the war. to force the population to fight against They must try to make it a people's war. the German troops, and there would be They must try to convince the Russians nothing left for the Germans but to that they were not fighting for Bol take measures against the population. shevism but for Russia. This they could On October 1, 1941, it became ob only do by completely changing direc ligatory for the entire male population tion, abandoning the communist ideology of the Soviet Union to take part in or at least no longer mentioning it, military exercises. The purpose of this and above all by setting out to accom measure was to keep the population plish three things with the greatest well in hand in spite of all the defeats. possible speed and effort: The introduction of nation-wide con (1) Regardless of the cost, they had scription brought with it the possibility to force the Germans to wage war not of organizing and supervising more only against the Red Army but also strictly than ever all subjects of the against the population; Soviet state through military discipline. And the maintenance of discipline is (2) They had to appeal to those nation of great importance especially during alistic instincts of the Russians which times of military defeats. they had ridiculed for twenty years; At the same time the mobilization (3) They had to attempt to weld the of the people was extended to the Bolshevist Party and the Russian peo entire nation, to both sexes as well as ple together in order to make use of to adolescents. This is stated again the whole strength of the Russian and again. For instance: masses for the purposes of Bolshevism. "It is the sacred duty of every Doing all this meant declaring, at citizen to contribute towards the least temporarily, the bankruptcy of defense of his town or village, to carry the Bolshevist doctrine. But it is to a gun, and to be able to use it ...• the advantage of the Bolsheviks that However far a hamlet or township they know no inhibitions. They belong may be removed from the front, neither to a c;ertain nation nor to a proper military preparations must be certain culture or moral code. Their made everywhere. Every town and motto is: "That is good which helps every village must be transformed into Bolshevism." With this credo they can an armed camp and a fortress." Or: turn in whichever direction they please "Our young people must be not only without scruple in the choice of their good workers but also soldiers, and methods. The feelings, ideals, dreams, the same applies to women." (2.10.41) and traditions of all others are for them only means which they use for WOMEN SOLDIERS their ends. This did not remain theory for long. For the last six months the whole One broadcast reported, for instance, giant apparatus at the disposal of the that a women's organization, headed 96 THE XXth CENTURY by Comrade Kharinoshina, had sent Don't ~'ou know that this tie is soaked with its gifts for the soldiers of the in the blood of our warriors? In the Red Army an accompanying letter: blood of the heroes of the Civil War, "Tensely and with pride we women the heroes of the Red Army, the blood are following your struggle, dear of the Pioneers? Don't you all know brothers, and when the time has come that it is your duty to help the Red we too will participate actively in the soldiers and partisans?" On the follow~ war as truck drivers or with machine ing day, so she said, the children guns." (22.12.41) looked clean and solemn and said to Or a report was sent out saying: her: "We have thought a lot about "The women of our region are learning what you told us yesterday. From the proper use of a rifle. Their first now on we will behave quite dif~ target practice took place yesterday." ferently, and from today we shall also (13.12.41) practice throwing hand grenades." The schoolmistress concluded her " Radio Let it be noted that it is not a Talk for Little Children" with the question here of regular women's words: "Thus the hearts of the chil regiments incorporated in the army dren were set on fire by the right like those mentioned on several oc words." (18.10.41) casions in the Finnish communiques This is an example of how every op or praised in the Soviet radio with portunity, be it ever so minute, even such words as these: "Entire detach a dirty tie, is being used. to create a ments of brave and audacious Soviet militant attitude in all inhabitants of women are fighting shoulder to shoul~ the USSR. der with their husbands and sons, having learnt how to use rifles and FIGHTING NURSES bayonets." (17.1.42) It is rather a "Heroic Soviet women are helping que tion of arming aU women and to destroy the Fascists by joining the drilling them for fighting German ambulance corps," reported the Soviet soldiers.

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