SEVENTY-FIVE years ago, the victorious volleys of the most bloody of all wars in the history of humankind died away. The long-awaited peace had come to the land of Europe. 

From a difficult test, our people emerged victorious, the saviour of human civilisation from the plague of Nazism spreading around the world.

The Great Patriotic War lasted a long 1,418 days and nights. For millions of people, they were filled with the pain of loss and defeat, misfortune and suffering, horror and hatred. And also – with an indestructible hope to overcome and win.  

A monstrous enemy invaded us, creating a mighty army of death. The Hitler Reich incorporated the military, technical, economic potential of almost all of Europe. The armour of cars and the power of money were supplemented by cynical treachery and the theory of racial superiority of the Aryans.

Contrary to all liars, it was the Soviet Union that bore the brunt of the struggle against the fascist bloc — the shock force of world imperialism. More than three-quarters of the total number of enemy divisions fought on the Soviet-German front. This is where the biggest events took place. This was our people bleeding. It was here that the casualties were tragically huge. 27 million Soviet citizens lost their lives. Of the 13 million soldiers lost by Germany, 10 million fought against the USSR.

Despite the defeats of the first weeks of the war, the Red Army and the entire Soviet people defeated Hitler’s blitzkrieg. Each metre of our land was ceded to the enemy at a bloody cost. The invaders never managed to take Moscow, conquer Leningrad, capture Stalingrad, and move their hordes beyond the Volga. Already at the end of 1941 they were driven back from the capital. The fascist armada suffered its first large-scale defeat in World War II.

A year later, the victory of the USSR at Stalingrad turned the tide of events. After the Oryol-Kursk battle, the Nazis completely lost their strategic initiative. Having expelled the enemy, the Red Army began a liberation mission in Europe. The last fierce battle in the den of fascism – Berlin – ended in victory. The red banner above the Reichstag announced to the world the destruction of universal evil. The unconditional surrender of Germany ended the holy war of the Soviet Union.

The plans of those who arrogantly affirmed the “new order” in the world, who turned millions of “subhumans” into ashes and decay, collapsed. Hitler’s aggression crashed against the indestructible power of the Soviet people, its unbending will, its life-affirming faith in the correctness of the Leninist cause.

The sacrifices brought to the altar of victory were enormous. Millions of soldiers fell on the battlefields. Millions of civilians died from bombing, shelling, starvation, and were tortured by fascist invaders. Our enemies destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, over 70,000 villages.

 But nothing broke the spirit of the Soviet people. It promptly restored the national economy, rebuilt the destroyed cities and villages, and launched into space orbit Yuri Gagarin, one of its best sons.

The enemy was defeated, and the Red Army soldier became a symbol of inflexibility and humanity. From the crucible of trials, the USSR emerged as a stronger socialist power. A community of socialist states was born. The system of colonialism collapsed.

The 1945 victory has many causes and sources. The main one was the socialist system. 

The Great October Revolution led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin created a special state. It wholly and completely served the working people, and not those parasitic capitalists who eagerly satisfy their interests and trade their homeland. 

Led by the Communist Party, we carried out industrialisation, equipped agriculture, resolutely raised the cultural level of a people strikingly talented, but long plagued by poverty and oppression. In a short historical period, the country became fundamentally different. She was ready to answer the most severe challenges, to meet an unprecedented enemy and overcome all adversities.

The socialist system as soon as possible transferred the economy to war footing. Already in 1942, the USSR surpassed the fascist Reich in the production of military products.

Thanks to the work of Soviet scientists and designers, workers of defence enterprises, the Red Army received T-34 tanks, Katyusha guard mortars, Il-2, Yak-7, La-5 aircraft and other advanced equipment. Despite the hardships of wartime and the loss of territory, the Soviet government ensured the uninterrupted supply of the necessary, front and rear. This saved the country from mass hunger and epidemics. The health service was shown to be extremely effective.

Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Vasilevsky, Konev, Malinovsky, Chuikov and a galaxy of marshals and generals covered themselves in glory. A huge contribution to the organisation of defence and the defeat of the enemy was made by the leadership of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party, headed by Stalin.

The main creator of the victory was the heroic Soviet people, having accomplished a feat of world-historical proportions. The unparalleled courage of warriors, partisans, anti-fascist underground fighters and rear workers merged into it. Socialism ensured the unity of the people and their government.

In 1941, 1.5 million communists entered the bloody battle with fascism. Over the years of the Great Patriotic War, more than five million people became members of the party. Three million Soviet communists laid their heads on the fronts of the war. Every second person who fell in battle was a communist or Komsomol member. This fact alone erases all the vile “theories” about the victory of the people contrary to the Soviet system. For us communists, it is a great honour and great happiness to belong to such a party.

Seventy-five years ago, our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers defended the freedom and independence of the Soviet Motherland. We, the heirs of the victorious soldiers, are called upon to rise to the struggle for the truth. The forces of evil are fiercely striving to deprive humanity of the truth, to rewrite the results of the war.

The current situation is complex and alarming. Minions of anti-Soviet, Russophobic forces operate in Russia. They pour dirt on the heroes, discredit their exploits, reject the role of the communists in achieving victory. We will do our best to confound their slanderous attempts.

Even 75 years later, the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the defeat of Japanese militarism, and the victorious end of World War II continue to have a profound impact on our world. The historical decisions of the Big Three in Tehran, Yalta, Potsdam, the condemnation of the ideology and practice of fascism in Nuremberg, the sentences of the Tokyo and Khabarovsk trials of Japanese war criminals are directly related to reality. The results of the victory impact on international relations and the world economy, on the domestic politics of states, on the lives of people in all parts of the globe.

The results of the past war are a stern warning to new applicants for global domination. The lessons of the 20th century convincingly testify: attempts by any of the states, relying on financial capabilities, military power and modern technologies to reformat the world in their favour, are fraught with enormous risks. They are doomed to failure.

The aggravation of the crisis of capitalism raises old and new contradictions. For protection from wars and cataclysms, from the globalist plans of the “new world order,” the united actions of sovereign states, progressive parties and movements, and the broad masses of working people are necessary. Russia, China and all countries opposing the unipolar world should co-ordinate their actions more closely.

At the moment, the situation in the country and in the world is dictating its own rules. On May 9, we are limited in our ability to celebrate our great holiday, to greet veterans at Victory Day parades, to hold processions and rallies. But nothing will prevent us from commemorating the heroes and bowing to the ground. And also, to swear an oath - to the last breath, take care of the truth about the war, fight for those ideals that raised Soviet fighters to attack the enemy.

At a time when the Great Victory is again being harassed by Russophobes and anti-communists, we urge everyone to raise their voices in defence of historical truth.

In these May days, we will definitely congratulate each other and hang red scarves on our homes. We will certainly take new pictures with portraits of the heroes in our families. We will assist veterans who need our care and support.

To be the heirs of the victors is not only a great privilege, but also a huge responsibility. May the exploits of generations inspire courage and faith in the best in our hearts. May they raise them to the struggle for human dignity, social progress and the socialist transformation of the world!

To the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory, dear comrades!

This article is an abridged version of the speech delivered by Communist Party of the Russian Federation leader Gennady Zyuganov to the State Duma for the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.