Chapter 47 Speech at the Meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to Celebrate the Fortieth Anniversary of the October Revolution

(November 6, 1957) Dear comrades: On the 40th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, I and all the comrades of the Chinese delegation, on behalf of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, the State Council of the People's Republic of China and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, on behalf of all the people of China and all members of the Communist Party, would like to express our sincere gratitude to Warm and fraternal congratulations from the great Soviet people, the Soviet Government and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. I would like to extend my warm and fraternal congratulations to all the comrades and friends present here.

The great revolution carried out by the Soviet people forty years ago, as the revolutionary teacher Lenin pointed out many times, ushered in a new era in the history of the world. There have been various revolutions throughout history.However, no revolution in the past can compare with the October Socialist Revolution. Establishing a society where no one exploits people has been the dream of the working people and progressive humans in the world for thousands of years.For the first time ever, the October Revolution turned this dream into reality on one-sixth of the world.This revolution proves that without the landlords and the bourgeoisie, the people can completely build a new life of freedom and happiness in a planned way.At the same time, it proves that without the oppression of imperialism, all nations in the world can completely coexist in harmony.

The Soviet people have gone through a difficult journey in forty years.The imperialists are doing everything possible to destroy the world's first socialist republic.The enemies of the Soviet Union once appeared to be stronger than the Soviet Union, and they attacked the Soviet Union twice with arms.But the heroic Soviet people, under the leadership of the glorious Communist Party of the Soviet Union, completely crushed the attacks of these invaders. The reason why the Soviet Union is invincible is that the Soviet Union is a country that has replaced the capitalist system with a socialist system, a country that has replaced the dictatorship of the exploiting class with the dictatorship of the proletariat, and a country that has developed society at a speed that cannot be achieved in capitalist countries. A productive country is a country that truly implements proletarian internationalism, truly opposes national oppression and supports the liberation of oppressed nations.Such a country enjoys the enthusiastic support of its entire people and, at the same time, the enthusiastic support of the people of all countries in the world.These two kinds of support have reached a degree never before seen in the history of nations.

The face of the Soviet Union has completely changed in forty years.Before the revolution, Russia's economic and technological strength was relatively backward.Now the Soviet Union has become the most powerful industrial country in the world.The living standards of the Soviet people are constantly improving.The scale of development of education, science, and culture in the Soviet Union far surpassed that of capitalist countries.The Soviet Union established the world's first atomic power station, made the world's first jet airliners, made the world's first intercontinental ballistic rockets, and launched the world's first and second man-made satellites.Recognized all over the world: the Soviet Union's achievements in launching artificial satellites twice opened up a new era for human beings to conquer the natural world.All these are the pride not only of the Soviet people, but also of the proletariat of the whole world, and of all mankind.Only some reactionaries are unhappy about this.

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union creatively used the theory of Marxism-Leninism to solve practical tasks and ensured that the construction of the Soviet people won continuous victories.The program of struggle put forward by the Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union[1] for the construction of communism in the Soviet Union is an example.The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union is overcoming the cult of personality, developing agriculture, reorganizing the management of industry and construction, expanding the powers of the union republics and local institutions, opposing anti-party groups, consolidating party unity, and improving the party and government in the Soviet army and navy. Judicious measures taken in matters of political work, etc., will undoubtedly lead to the further consolidation and further development of the various causes of the USSR.

The peoples of the world see their future more clearly every day from the achievements of the Soviet people.The path of the Soviet Union and the path of the October Revolution are, fundamentally speaking, the common bright avenue for the development of all mankind.The broad masses of people all over the world warmly celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, because these 40 years of history have convinced them that the proletariat will surely be able to defeat the bourgeoisie, socialism will surely be able to defeat capitalism, and the oppressed nations will surely be able to defeat imperialism. doctrine.Of course, there are still difficulties and twists and turns ahead of the people.However, Lenin said it well thirty-six years ago, "The important thing is that the ice has been broken, the route has been opened, and the way has been pointed out"[2].

The people's revolution led by the Communist Party of China has always been an integral part of the world proletarian socialist revolution started by the October Revolution.The Chinese revolution has its own national characteristics, and it is estimated that these characteristics are absolutely necessary.But we have made full use of the rich experience of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet people, both in the cause of revolution and in the cause of socialist construction.The Chinese people feel lucky because they have experience in the October Revolution and the socialist construction of the Soviet Union, so that they can reduce or avoid many mistakes and carry out their own business relatively smoothly, although the Chinese people still face many difficulties.

It is obvious that after the October Revolution, if the proletarian revolutionaries of various countries ignored or did not seriously study the experience of the Russian Revolution, the experience of the dictatorship of the proletariat and socialist construction in the Soviet Union, and analyzed it in accordance with the specific conditions of their own countries, If he uses these experiences creatively, he will not be able to understand Leninism as a new stage in the development of Marxism, and he will not be able to correctly solve the problems of revolution and construction in his country; then he will either fall into the error of dogmatism, or fall into the revisionist error.We need to oppose both of these erroneous tendencies at the same time, and at present, fighting the revisionist tendencies is a particularly urgent task.

It is also obvious that after the October Revolution, if the government of any country refuses to live in friendly relations with the Soviet Union, it will only harm the real interests of its own people. Now that the whole world has embarked on the road of the October Revolution and won victory, there are already a series of countries in Europe and Asia, including a population of more than 900 million people, who have formed a powerful socialist world system.Capitalism has long since lost its edge, and socialism has long since become an invincible force. The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system. This is an objective law independent of people's own will.No matter how much the reactionaries try to stop the progress of the wheel of history, sooner or later the revolution will happen and will inevitably win. "Lifting a rock and hitting one's own feet" is a Chinese saying to describe the behavior of some stupid people.The reactionaries in various countries are just such a group of fools.All kinds of persecution they have done to the revolutionary people, in the final analysis, can only promote the people's broader and more intense revolution.Didn’t the various persecutions of the revolutionary people by the Tsar and Chiang Kai-shek play such a role in promoting the great Russian revolution and the great Chinese revolution?

Apart from pinning their fate on the persecution of the people at home and in the colonies and semi-colonies, imperialism also counts on war.But what can they expect from war? We have had two world wars in half a century.After World War I, the Great October Socialist Revolution emerged in Russia.After World War II, there were more revolutions in Eastern Europe and the East.If the heroic imperialists decide to start a third world war, they will not achieve anything other than the complete demise of the world capitalist system. The governments and people of the socialist countries are the builders of a peaceful new life.We have absolutely no need for war and are firmly opposed to a new world war.The Soviet Union, China, and other socialist countries have consistently worked to ease international tension.The repeated proposals made by the Soviet Union on the issue of disarmament and prohibition of the manufacture, use and testing of weapons of mass destruction represent the common stand of all socialist countries and at the same time conform to the interests of the people of all countries in the world.We firmly maintain that socialist countries and capitalist countries practice peaceful competition, and that the internal affairs of each country are resolved by the people of each country according to their own wishes.We firmly maintain that all countries implement the five principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

U.S. imperialism stubbornly wants to interfere in the internal affairs of various countries, including those of socialist countries. For example, it intervened in the liberation of Taiwan in China and created a counter-revolutionary rebellion in Hungary.[3]It meddles with particular presumptuousness in the internal affairs of those countries that lie in the middle ground between the United States and the socialist camp.The United States is still planning to invade independent Syria through Turkey or Israel, and is still plotting to overthrow the anti-colonial Egyptian government.This crazy aggressive policy of the United States has not only created the crisis in the Middle East, but also the crisis of a new world war.The peace-loving and freedom-loving people all over the world stand on the side of Syria against the aggressors of the United States and Turkey, just as they all stood on the side of Egypt against the aggressors of Britain, France and Israel last October.The Soviet government has issued a serious warning to the United States and Turkey, asking them to quickly cancel their plans of aggression.The Chinese government and Chinese people resolutely support Syria's struggle to defend the country and the just stand of the Soviet Union. The wolves of imperialism should remember that the era when they could manipulate the fate of mankind at will and carve up Asian and African countries at will is gone forever. U.S. imperialism has done and is still doing its utmost to sabotage the liberation cause of the Chinese people.But after all, it cannot prevent China's 600 million people from bravely embarking on the road of socialism.In a short period of eight years, various construction projects in China have achieved achievements that were impossible in the past hundred years.There is a handful of bourgeois rightists in China who are trying to oppose the socialist road, the Communist Party's leadership in national life, and China's close alliance with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries.Their arrogant attempt has completely failed under the counterattack of the people of the whole country. [4] In order to rapidly develop China's socialist cause on a more solid foundation, the Chinese people are conducting a vigorous rectification movement under the leadership of the Communist Party.This is the method of presenting facts and reasoning about the two roads of socialism and capitalism, the fundamental system and major policies of the country, the work style of party and government personnel, and the welfare of the people in both urban and rural areas. Leading and free to launch a national debate to correctly resolve various contradictions that actually exist among the people and must be resolved at present.This is a movement of socialist self-education and self-reform of the people.The movement has achieved great victories.Wherever this has been done, the socialist consciousness of the people has grown rapidly, erroneous thinking has been clarified, shortcomings in work have been quickly overcome, unity among the people has been rapidly strengthened, and labor discipline and labor productivity have rapidly increased.We are promoting this people's self-education movement in stages and in batches among a population of 600 million, and it will probably be victorious across the country in a few months.From now on, we plan to hold a rectification movement every year or every two years, and the time of the movement can be greatly shortened, as a major method of resolving various social contradictions in our country's entire transitional period.There is a fundamental starting point for implementing this method, that is, we must firmly believe that the majority of the masses will stand on our side, which is reasonable.This has been proved by all the experience of the sport. Based on Lenin's principles of keeping close ties with the masses, acknowledging the initiative of the masses, practicing criticism and self-criticism, we have come up with a method of rectification through years of revolutionary practice, and the current socialist self-education movement has once again illustrated this method correctness. China's socialist construction has received fraternal assistance from the Soviet Union in many ways.As we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the October Socialist Revolution, let us express our heartfelt thanks to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Government and the Soviet people for their friendly assistance to China! As early as the early days of its founding, the People's Republic of China concluded a treaty of friendship, alliance and mutual assistance with the Soviet Union[5].This is a great alliance of two great socialist countries.We share fate and breathe with the Soviet Union and the entire socialist camp.We believe that it is the sacred international duty of all socialist countries to strengthen the unity of the socialist countries headed by the Soviet Union. The imperialists headed by the United States are using all means of sowing discord in an attempt to destroy the friendship and unity of the socialist countries headed by the Soviet Union.But the facts can only disappoint the imperialists.The socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union is becoming more and more closely united.Since the beginning of history, it is impossible for any relationship between countries to share weal and woe, to respect and trust each other, to help and encourage each other like that among socialist countries.This is because the socialist state is a state of a completely new type, a state in which the exploiting classes have been overthrown and power is in the hands of the working people.In the mutual relations among these countries, the principle of unity of internationalism and patriotism is realized.We are closely linked by common interests and common ideals.Marx said in the founding manifesto of the International Workingmen's Association: "Past experience has proved that neglecting the fraternal solidarity that should exist among the workers of all countries, and ignoring this fraternal solidarity that should encourage them to fight firmly side by side in the struggle for liberation, will make them Scattered efforts meet with common failure." [6] This instruction from Marx more than 90 years ago will never become obsolete for us. Dear comrades! Representatives of the working class and the broad masses of people from all over the world are here today to participate in the grand meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the October Revolution. This fact in itself illustrates the great unity of the forces of the people of the world and symbolizes The prosperity of the international socialist movement.Let us continue to work hard to strengthen the unity of the socialist countries, strengthen the unity of the working people and oppressed nations all over the world, and welcome new and greater victories! Long live the great October Socialist Revolution! Long live the unity and friendship of the socialist countries headed by the Soviet Union! Long live the great internationalist banner of Marxism-Leninism! Workers and peace-loving peoples of the world unite! According to the "People's Daily" published on November 7, 1957. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] The Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, see note [4] on page 22 of this volume. [2] See Lenin's "Fourth Anniversary of the October Revolution".The new translation is: "The important thing is that the ice has been broken, the sea route has been opened, and the road has been pointed out." ("Selected Works of Lenin", Volume 4, People's Publishing House, 1995 edition, p. 569) [3] Refers to the anti-government political incidents in Hungary from October to November 1956. [4] In April 1957, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to carry out a rectification movement against bureaucratism, sectarianism and subjectivism throughout the party.A handful of bourgeois rightists seized the opportunity to attack the Communist Party and the nascent socialist system in an attempt to replace the leadership of the Communist Party.In June, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued an instruction, deciding to counterattack the rightist attack.At that time it was necessary to counterattack the attacks of a very small number of bourgeois rightists, but in the struggle they made a serious mistake of expanding.In 1978, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to review those who were classified as rightists and correct those who were wrongly classified. [5] On February 14, 1950, the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics signed the "Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance" in Moscow.The main content is that the two sides take all necessary measures to stop the aggression of Japan or its allies; the two sides follow the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity to develop and consolidate economic and cultural mutual assistance and cooperation between the two countries .The treaty entered into force on April 11 of the same year and will be valid for thirty years.At the Seventh Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China held on April 3, 1979, in view of the major changes in the international situation, it was decided not to extend the treaty after its expiration. [6] See Marx's "Declaration of the Founding of the International Workingmen's Association".The new translation reads: "Past experience has shown that ignoring the fraternal solidarity which ought to exist among the workers of all nations, which ought to encourage them to stand firm side by side in the struggle for liberation, punishes them—makes them Scattered efforts met with common failure." ("Selected Works of Marx and Engels", Volume 2, People's Publishing House, 1995 edition, p. 607)