861.00/6–2846
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs (Stevens)23
The address by O-ieshchuko which is reported in the attached despatch from the Embassy at Moscow is one of the most significant pronouncements on Soviet policy which has recently come to the attention of the Division.24 It throws a great deal of light on the present Soviet attitude toward the United States and clarifies in considerable measure the underlying reasons for the vituperative press campaign against the United States which has now been going on for over two months. Oleshchuko’s thesis is that notwithstanding the victorious conclusion of the war the struggle against Fascism is continuing. He states that “Fascism is a manifestation of capitalist society in its imperialistic phase” and thereby associates it with all non-democratic (i.e. non-communist) states. Fascism is supported by “reactionary” forces in capitalistic countries. Both the United States and Great Britain are supporting Fascism in the hope of using it to fight democracy and the Soviet Union. The United States is much the greater menace since it emerged from the war as the strongest of capitalist countries. Fascism can be defeated only by striking heavy blows against the reaction which nourishes it and uses it as a weapon. The reactionary forces of the world are now larger than the Fascist forces and the next step is accordingly to weaken reaction.
Oleshchuko admits that the communist parties in the United States and Great Britain at present have little influence. He states, however, that democracy (i.e. communism) is on the upsurge and has become so strong that all plans of reaction against democracy have failed. [Page 771] The strength of world democracy is based on the existence of the Soviet Union which Oleshchuko places squarely in the camp opposed to the United States and Britain in the struggle against reaction. The role of the Soviet Union is three fold: 1. not to oppose the development of democracy (communism) while the Western Powers are doing everything possible to hinder its development; 2. to support “popular national liberation movements” everywhere and to extend active aid to democratic movements in countries on the border of the Soviet Union and elsewhere. In this connection Oleshchuko points out that the Soviet Union has furnished arms to Poland and the inference is clear that it is likewise prepared to arm “national liberation movements” elsewhere; 3. to support democratic movements at international conferences.
In conclusion Oleshchuko points out that the Soviet Union has emerged from the war as the greatest power in the world.
This lecture was delivered before a small audience of about forty persons. The size of the audience, however, is no indication of the importance of this pronouncement. Public lectures in the Soviet Union are given for the benefit of party propagandists and agitators to provide amplification and background to propaganda themes which are played in the press. Our experience has been that these lectures frequently forecast new political moves by the Soviet Government or the emergence of new propaganda lines and that they are considerably more enlightening regarding the real objectives and motivation of Soviet policy than the most stereotyped material appearing in the press.
The conclusion to be drawn from this lecture, and which is amply supported by other evidence which has become available in the past few months, is that the United States is now regarded as the chief center of world reaction and as such will be regarded by the Soviet Government and held up to the Soviet people as the principal potential enemy of the Soviet Union.
- This memorandum was directed to Llewellyn E. Thompson, Chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs, and to John D. Hickerson, Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs.↩
- A lecture entitled “The Struggle of the Democratic Forces for the Final Defeat of Fascism” had been given in the Dom Soyuzov on June 7, 1946, by Fedor Nesterovich Oleshchuk, assistant head of the Chief Administration for Propaganda and Agitation under the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The address was first reported in telegram 1974, June 22, 1946, 6 p.m., from Moscow, with the remark that this speech contained “perhaps most outspoken Soviet public attack on USA and UK since German attack on USSR”. (861.00/6–2246) The lecture was summarized in dispatch 191, June 28, 1946, from Moscow. (861.00/6–2846).↩