THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIAN COMMUNISM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91T01172R000200320025-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 9, 2003
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: July 26, 1953
• Content Type: SUMMARY

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OCI No. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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Copy No. OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
26 July 53
THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIAN COMMUNISM
The most significant feature of the historical section,
or about 80 percent, of the 25 July Tass release on the 50th
anniversary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union is
its minimizing of Stalin's'role.The rewriting of history
which during his lifetime cast Stalin in the role of Lenin's
close friend and collaborator from the early days of the rev-
olution is discarded completely.
Stalin's actual leadership in Soviet affairs from the
time of the great purges on is diminished almost to the van-
ishing point. His association with the Five Year Plans is
not mentioned. The nationality policy, previously credited
to him, is now called the "Lenin-Stalin" policy. His name
is not connected with the 1936 Constitution, until recently
always referred to as "the great Stalin Constitution."
The party takes credit for leadership during the war years,
rather than giving it to Stalin. The only quotation from Stalin
is one in which he praises Lenin as the leader and teacher of
the Bolsheviks. Lenin and the party are emphasized throughout.
The release maintains that the USSR has all the pre-
requisites for building a "full Communist Society": inexhausti-
ble national resources; a widely developed heavy industry which
is the foundation of a socialist economy; consumer and food
industries capable of meeting the growing demands of workers
in both town and countryside; modern state and collective farms
which can raise the harvest yields of all crops and livestock.
Admittedly, however, there are still urgent, unsolved ec-
onomic problems - enterprises and even some branches of in-
dustry which lag behing, and some farms and agricultural dis-
tricts which are in a neglected state. This statement is
borne out by recent announcements which disclose underful-
fillment of planned goals in certain parts of the economy.
Much emphasis is put on the Party's responsibility for the
well-being and prosperity of the people, for raising their stan-
dard of living.
With regard to foreign policy the emphasis is on Lenin's
statement that "lasting coexistence" between capitalism and
communism is possible. Lenin is al
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the need for Communist-Capitalist trade. The main concern
of the party is to maintain peace, prevent a new war. It
is pointed out, however, that the "imperialist camp, torn
asunder by difference and economic instability" fear co-
existence. Under these circumstances, the "imperialists"
send agents posing as communists to penetrate the ranks of
the party and undermine it. Vigilance is therefore neces-
sary to prevent the success of such maneuvers. This is
unquestionably an indirect reference to Beriao The only
other such reference is the mention of a July plenum of the
central committee which demonstrated the capability of the
party to face all tasks confronting it. Beria never is
named.
The principle of the collective leadership of the Party
is continually stressed, and one passage points out that "the
cult of the individual,,,has nothing in common with Marxist-
Leninist concepts" - a repitition of the now-familiar slap at
Stalin's one-man rule.
Summing up, the release points out that "in the field of
internal policy, the party considers it one of its most im-
portant tasks to go on showing untiring concern for the maximum
satisfaction of the constantly rising demands of the Soviet
people, On the basis of the expansion of the national economy
the standard of living of workers of the Socialist community
will steadly rise while their material and cultural demands
will be met with increasing abundance and on a wider range,"
In this connection, it was mentioned earlier in the re-
lease that the party's policy is "to strengthen the friendship
and solidarity of the Soviet people with the great Chinese
people, the workers of all lands of the peoples democracies,"
This follows recent Kremlin practice of emphasizing China, and
is perhaps a measure of Soviet concern regarding the solidarity
of the communist world.
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"In foreign policy the party will continue the policy of
safe-guarding and stabilizing peace, the policy of collabora-
ting with all countries and the development of business-like
relations with them on the principle of observance of mutual
interests," the release continues, "Only a stable and lasting
peace between peoples creates the essential conditions for the
further constant development of the Socialist economy, for
assuring a happy and abundant life of the workers of our country,"
In other words, the release, like all recent statements
and tactics, points to a continuation of the conciliatory
policy.
It is of some significance that this definitive release
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is signed by "The Department of Propaganda and Agitation of
the Central Committee of the CPSU; the Marx-Engels-Lenin-
Stalin Institute attached to the Central Committee of the
CPSU,"
This signature stamps the document as a statement of
party policy, not government, and reemphasizes the collectivity
of Soviet leadership by the top party leaders and the members
of the top party staff - the apparatus of the Central Commit-
tee which contains the Propaganda and Agitation department and
the Institute.
The release does not necessarily mean that the official
Soviet reaction to the idea of a four-power conference, if and
when it becomes known, will reverse Pravda's rejection of it
on the terms now envisaged by the Wens,
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