The Soviets Expected It

280 Pages·1941·9.79 MB·English

by  Anna Louise Strong

A Word ALout
ANNA LOUISE STRONG
The ~trnng' came to this «>unlr\' in 1630, settled
fir-;t in Connc·nirut. then hr:rnrhecl out LO the other
:'\cw England states and to Ohio. Nehrac;ka, and
\\'a~hington.
"·a"
Anna I.oui-.c Strong's father in the Western
~[ovcment, hi" flrc;t assignment a-. a Congregational
minister being lo Nebraska in the clay-; when no house
there was built with more than one• room.
Miss Strong's life has been devoted to social welfare
and journalism. Ac; early as 1915 she was associated
with the National Child \\'dfarc Movement and
eventually bc·camc one of the experts for the Depan
mem of I .ahor\, l 'nitcd States Children'" Bureau. For
a time she '>('n C'd 011 the school board of S('altlc and
later ac; a featurt' l'<litor of the Union Ruon/, a labor
paper in that city.
In 1921 slu· did publicit\ for Quaker relief in
Poland. She \\('Ill on to Ru..sia for the Quaker' and at
the same ti11H covered th<: Rll',,ian famine for the
I mernational l\ ew., Service.
Prcviou' to lic1 prnl'nt book, i\1 i-.s Strong has had
published I Cl11mp;r Worlds (about Russia) and One
1-iftlt of Ma11l<i11rl (about China). She has aJ,o covered
the baulcfl<'lcl., of China an<l Spain for the Federated
Pn·,c;.
THE DIAL PRESS, New Y orL
THE
SOVIETS EXPECTED IT
By A~~A LOt'J\F. STRO:-.;G
,lutlmr nf "/ Chn11gr ll'or/tl,,"
"<;llina's 1\1illimu," etc.
There arc kw people in \metica wday
who lnow "" much ahmll Ru~sia as .\nna
Loui. . c Strong. During t hc last 25 year' ,1w
has tra\'cled all O\'er this \'ast country :md
has met, worked with and known the great.
the near great and the hum hie. No phase of
Russian political or social life has escaped
her attc:mion. It j, fitting that 'he ,houlcl
write thi' cnmpn·hern.i\ c account of the !>tt'f"
which led to the :\Mi-Rt1"ian \\-ar. '\ot only
has she told 1he storv of Rw.,ia's preparation
tor thi'> inevitable rnnflic t. hut 11he has gi\Cll
1he sort of bac kgrnund and anecdotal matt•-
1 ial that will make the: n·acler really unde1-
stand what I litk1 mmt <on tend with in
Russia.
There i~ no quntion crn1ct·1ning Russian
(,c:rman 1darionships ,,hich '>he has left un
answered and. in addition. 'he has presented
.1 full a11d rnundc:cl piu111t.• of the Rus. . ian
pt op le t hc•m,e he,.
\\'hy "'"' the Sm iet-Ge1 ma 11 non-ag~rc"ion
11.1u '>ignccl? .\re the peoplt· ,oJidly behind
5talin. \\'h.tt "·" l.it\illO\ \ 11ilc in the ptc:
war negotiation,( \\'I" '"1' tht· \\ar with Fi11-
or
land fought? \\'hal wa' tlw 11 ll(.' purpose
the :Mo'Cow ttiah? I Im,· 'trnng is the Rmsian
.\rnn? h Rm-.ia 'ulncr.1blc hd1ind the Urals?
·1 hese. ancl h11nd1ecls of 01hcr cptt.•stiom
which arc,,, \ital to the A1m·1iran pcoplt• a'
tht:) arc to the Rm,i.ms. an• completely .ind
candid!) .111'\\<.'rc,·d in the (Mgt•i. of this book.
Ancl, of tmtri.t·. mo.'>t imponant of all, i\[j,,
Snong giH·\ her frank opi11i1111 oC llitlc:t\
< h.11Kes of <Ill HJ m·ri n~ R u"i.t.
THE SOVIETS
EXPECTED IT
THE SOVIETS
EXPECTED IT
by
Anna Louise Strong
THE DIAL PRESS
NEW YORK • 1941
COPYRIGHT, 1941
BY ANNA LOUISE STRONG
Designed by Peter Doblln
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
CONTENTS
I. RUSSIANS ARE PEOPLE 9
11. SOMETHI~G TO FIGHT FOR 26
111. STALIN 46
IV. BUILDING FOR TOTAL DEFENSE 65
v. BEY01''"1> THE URALS 76
VI. THE MODERNIZED RED ARMY 98
VII. THE AR.'1:Y AND THE PEOPLE 109
VIII. SMASHI~G THE FIFTH COLUMN 121
IX. THE FIGHT FOR PEACE FAILS 142
x. THE MARCH INTO POLAND 163
XI. BUILDING THE BUFFER BELT 175
XII. THE BALTIC GOES SOVIET 195
XIII. THE PACT THAT BLOCKED HITLER 217
XIV. WAR OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE 236
xv. THE WORLD LIXES UP 258
FOREWORD
WHATEVER we Americans may have thought of
the Soviet people, they hold today our own front
line for our democracy, our science, our equality,
for all we have ever held dear. On them has fallen
the military defense of civilization and human
freedom against the dark forces that threaten to
put back the clock of the world.
\Vhethcr the Russians wanted it or whether they
didn't, whether they intrigued with Hitler or
shrewdly took time and territory for final defense,
when the mortal hour struck they met it with a
unity and valor unique among the battling nations.
In taking up the challenge handed them by history,
they have made it necessary for us to understand
the Soviet people if we would save ourselves.
Most of all we must knmv that the Soviets
expected it and got ready for it and see a way
through. For unless we know and rally to this
knowledge, we may lose the battle for the
world.
~lost of all we must know that the Soviets ex
pected it, and got ready for it and that they sec a
way through-not only to their own victory but
to the great peace of the peoples, based on equality
of all races and nations, on free access by the world's
...
Vlll FOREWORD
people to the world's resources, on democratic
choice. For unless we understand the tremendous
hope that rallies the Soviet people to this conflict,
we shall not only fail our strongest ally, but may
lose the battle for ourselves and for the world.
One:
Russians Are People
I NEVER fell for this talk about the "mystery" of
Russians. Russians are people! Like Americans!
Like Chinese! People are very much alike and also
very different. vVhether you stress the likeness or
the difference depends upon your aim. Hitler
preaches the superior race of Germans; the Amer
ican Declaration of Independence asserts that all
men are created equal; while Jesus Christ pro
claimed that we are all alike sinners and Sons of
God.
The Russians never wanted to be a mystery.
When I first went to Moscow twenty years ago
this autumn they were explaining themselves in
tomes of Marxist logic to all who would hear. Most
people wouldn't; they called the explanations
propaganda. When they were more polite they
called them dreams. As H. G. Wells did with
Lenin's mad dream of electrification propounded
in the dark night of civil war. After a while the
Russians stopped explaining. They let their actions
speak.
Today their actions shout to a world in battle.
They shout from the world's front lines. In the hot
flame of those actions a thousand myths about the
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