Death of Josef Stalin; Symposium on Death of Josef Stalin

We didn't understand what this meant and apparently they thought this meant I am a Russian who is a patriot but doesn't believe in the party or doesn't support Stalin himself. We found this very curious. Now this type of talk has disappeared. But your coffin self has been pushed out of the picture. No more of that rather considerable publicity which was given to him during the war continued after the war and he tended to disappear from the picture. But in the recent trial remember the recent discussion of the Jewish doctors. It was curious to note that the criticism made of the Jewish doctors was among other things that they were conspiring to kill some generals and the generals curiously enough with the non political generals. Men like one of the top men in the Soviet army professional man of great skill. Guevara did not join the Communist Party until he was a marshal in command of the Leningrad front in 1942 and his daughter was

married in a religious ceremony during the war. Google Earth and a number of other people were told in a sense by Malling cough through this media of the charges against the Jewish doctors that you are in danger. The police aren't guarding you. There are bad people who want to kill you and We The Party is trying to save you. Uh this is oversimplified of course but this one might see as a kind of appeal on the link of his part to a power group that is growing in importance and a par groove which can to some extent neutralize the strength of the secret police. Now he may not have the US that the army attacked the secret police but he might make it plain to Beria that if Barry were to resort to violence and use the troops or other continues of the secret police there is the army ready to be used as well. This I think is important for several points of view but here most important of all because we must not. Tend to fall into the error of a believing Soviet propaganda about the completely

monolithic state. There are power groups and under some circumstances we can exploit this difference between power groups to our advantage. In this instance you call. Raises the whole question of the downgrading of the US and also this apparent tightening up of some of the ministries such as the two police ministries being combined into one. What does this mean. I think there's been a tendency perhaps to exaggerate this this particular factor but it's worth considering men like Mauler TOF and others that belong to a small group which were placed in the Polit Bureau and no parent we had control of several ministries. Barea for example seem to control three different police ministries and below him were some of his lieutenants. Each of them was given a ministry to run on a day to day basis. Now in the announcements made by toss Berry appears as a minister which

seems that he's been degraded from the Politburo level watching several ministries to running only one of them. But I think if we look at the picture closely we see that all the pull of your old man virtually have decided to move down and take over the ministries. And I would guess this is a means of making sure that the country is in tight control of the pullup your old man. Control is directed by a man right on the job rather than through tenants. You will note in the case of the police ministries that Barry has combined the police ministries and he runs them himself. I would not say therefore that it's a degrading for any one or two people but the Mount cost position the very top of the heap has been made clear. The men under him have been given jobs directly in control of ministries as perhaps they did before 1940 and to do what they usually do in periods of crisis and this is I think a period of crisis. No that was just the opposite of what one might at first believe has happened may

be occurring. Yes that is to say the men around him that we thought perhaps might compete with mom and coffee have stepped in the line are doing their job and are settling down to keep the country in control. With modern coffee as their leader Of course the fundamental question then is what does all of this mean to the United States. And our foreign policy. I think it's important to note among other things the character of cough and perhaps the extent of his power within the new regime that has been given to him. On course represents what might be called the second generation Bolshevik. He had no real part in the Bolshevik Revolution. He's come up during the period of Stalinist bureaucratic control as far as we can tell. He sent a go isolationist. He wants to be regarded as tough and hard in the same fashion of Lenin was and Stalin. He had as far as we can tell he knows no foreign language and has

had very little contact with outside groups. This would mean therefore that this man will be hard to deal with as indeed the Soviets have been. But this man may possibly so completely misunderstand the outside world that he may blunder into an adventure that might mean World War. It seems to me therefore that we are in the face of great danger. We've got to move carefully cautiously and very firmly and we must not jump to conclusions. On the other hand I think it's important to note that modern cough has no real prestige among the satellite peoples and even indeed among the Soviet people as a whole. There will be a process of building him up as a leader in somewhat the same artificial fashion that Stalin was built up. And I think I think the facts will show that Stalin reached his position as the leader in true and emotional terms of the Soviet people only after a decade of very hard work by the Soviet

propagandists. It will be some time before Ma Linkov comes even close to acquiring what some of call that mantle of glory that is given Stalin some of his power. He is Mao and coffee is therefore weak to some extent within the Soviet regime. It's also important to note that while he has managed to keep the power groups within control that the there are still these park groups in the Soviet Union that there are many like Beria and others who are older than Mali who have been on the top echelons longer who have ambitions and that if they get an opportunity one might feel it probable that one or another will make a bid for power. It's our opportunity I think it may well be our opportunity in the future to move swiftly decisively. If internal dissension takes place and I think that we should be ready we should keep our powder dry and be ready for such an opportunity. On the other hand it is also extremely important not to help mom and cough consolidate

his empire by creating a situation in which Monaco represents the Soviet people where there was a drawing together against an external threat where there was a feeling that we have to stick together because the outside enemy is worse than the internal enemy. This is what Nazi Germany did in 1941. The great possibility of overthrowing Stalin one thousand nine hundred forty one was lost because Hitler precisely did this. He attacked at a time when Stalin put himself in cloak with the mantle of patriotism. When the Soviet people could say we hate the beasts who run us but we'd rather have a domestic Soviet beast than a foreign beast. They made their decision in the winter of 1941. We ought to make clear we understand the Soviet people their problems we sympathize with them that we ourselves are decisive and strong that we will not stand for adventures or attacks. But we do not threaten the Soviet people and that we want seriously to live in the same world with them. And the trouble will only come if their own

leaders make serious errors such as they made in South Korea. I think under those circumstances with a strong America following a consistent policy we may yet see that time when the basic weaknesses within the Soviet totalitarian system and remember one basic weakness is that this is an evil system a system in which the people within it realize increasingly that the old ideology is no longer true no longer believe it will but it is obviously evil and that eventually this evil which is corroding the entire Soviet system will make it so weak that the internal dissensions I think will cause a succession that will be more meaningful and desirable to us. The view of a student of the top structure of the government and of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Mark knew Weald graduate student fellow of the Russian Research Center of Harvard. Mr. GNU do you

think that the succession to Stalin is really settled. I don't believe that this has been settled definitely. This occasion as of today appears to be much more steady belies circling than it was at the time of the announcement of status of studies that. But it's far Our it seems to me is being settled definitely. As of today it would appear quite clear that your call has the upper big hand both in the governmental structure since he has been appointed chairman of the council of ministers and also in their party structure. So his name appears on the list of demands of the new peers. Pretty VM of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This part that tell you that his name appears Ferrie star also are the more significant indications that.

The US law while in court seems to have the edge as of today definitely. But mustn't forget that our men potential competitors and contenders for power also received a good share of power and as the spin from us to indicate her summary of this situation would be I believe the part in the Soviet Union that is. Exercised collectively by a body of four or five men. For departed purpose of assuring and orderly and smooth and peaceful transition for the Paribas of them demonstrating to divert that large shame to the Soviet peoples. A united front of the Soviet leadership. And also for the purpose of continuing at least nominally one man leadership model and has achieved all that

distinction. But that is simply imply that he has the same amount of power or is as still as Stalin was. Not on the need to take a long time to build up a man psychologically in the dead state sure that the stallion ensured but also Stalin exercised a direct control over all facets of power in the Soviet Union and the loyalties of all his subordinates who were in a very little sense started its men and made by him and by him. The loyalties of all those men who were a focus in the stars. Today the situation is different. It seems that the people in control the leading contenders for power are a list of to take cognizance of. Do it all if you saw the situation of the US who had taken part rather

and part with me. They got together and divided the power. According to what they felt their corresponding position in this situation is just a new world would you care to risk. Re creation of what each might do certainly over in a sense in working out this negotiated peace. Well if one could. Visualize himself standing hid in the corner of the Carolyn conference whom for all of us frantic meetings presumably took place. In a picture might emerge. Where all the top boys said to get them quite tense and quite settled by starting this illness and death. And came to the following conclusions. They all decided without too much discussion presumably that the thing to do

is to present a united Europe and to preserve the appearance of humility and amity among them. When it came to actual distribution of spoils they all talk. I say suppose explicitly or implicitly cognizance of their own personal and of the other fellow's position. According to that position there is that molecule is today stronger than any of them individually but the molecule found out ahead to recognize that other people still have significant power and instrumentalities of power to Beckett and according to that division they divided the main office or some of themselves no doubt carefully planned their own underlings and men into other people's bailiwick school and have to check on their activities and potential springboard for future undermining of their competitors position

would you be a little more specific with the new world on this distribution of power. Well it seems to me that it's very important to realize that induction of the Soviet Union of today all of the top men like modern call or bigger or Molotov or blue gunning your business and not own personal ambitions in their bid for power but also in the present second institutionalized forces and. Vested interests if you please in certain organizations that they head to present. Thus for example Mullen call for a long time they were presented and had to depart the appropriators by the virtue of this fact. He identifies himself with the interests of the party are paid dues who each is klyde different from the interests of this some of the secret police people for example or the army people.

By being in position by being the secretary in charge of the person of personnel affairs. He was able to put his men in the top party positions the last men of course all their loyalties and their existence to him. It awfully The same picture is true about the set up in the Soviet security forces which is the domain of area martial gardening on the other hand in a presented the political element the Party element in the Army and the US. To some extent identifies himself with the interests of the army. By mall of golf. In addition to his all here addition as an old ball should make him a close associate of Stalin. And in addition to his experience in foreign affairs also probably built up a significant a machine no place on a mount this sort of governmental operators

would whose operators compare. However to that gun it seems to me that to most period of Gallatin be speaking the weakest of them all. Because in this Soviet era all it here and division of power the rule of locus of power there is ice in the park and not in the government and in any of them to all that is possible governmental officials are party members and their appointments are cleared or made who departed Charles. Nevertheless he could have maintained some contacts with many people in governmental structure who that who thought they may be party members also had their interests. This government officials would do these positions of the positions held by these leaders differ from the positions held by a previous deputy premier. Well let me go back in time if I may be

49 49 all the outstanding leaders of the Soviet Union with one or two exceptions all police bureau members going at this same time I'm also deputy chairman of the council of ministers and also head that person really is corresponding ministries that are smaller told us Minister of Foreign Affairs and forgotten for example as Minister of our forces in 49 they're very all they're relieved from their ministerial responsibilities. They're all your maint of course believe your members and they all are your main deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers. But they were relieved from the actual ministerial administrative duties. Presumably to give them more time to think and to plan and to give them a chance not to get too busy with petty every day affairs that does not mean that they lost contact with their original.

It opens us up for action because men like Molotov was presumably irresponsible in the police affairs for the TalkTalk party for group talk forum up various picture. Thus men like machines keep their labors and Molotov subordinate lova Shinseki could have been officially foreign minister the fact that they're tearing today to their ministries indicates to me that during all those years since 1949 there could taint a clause parch and close control of their Could they expect to belive it. But today in the situation of fixed him with her eyes she said this to us they decided that if she was to me to assume actual controls of the ministries to steer them they hauled their respective machine upgrade them.

Do you think Stalin's favoring the island cause had anything to do with the negotiated decision. What stymies favorite mall and call. Secondly you help them who got enough power as to be able to day to assert his position the way he did and is be able to recognize by other people. Seriously heaven position. In short I doubt very much whether he could have been very case today if his spectacular guise to power was not at least been tolerated and he looked upon if not actively at it by studying himself up to argue points for years. Quite an important member of the Central Park to pay dues. Still with us and it s important as he is today. Of course here on CNN Port was during the war but that was entirely

after most death. Forty eight. We have to remember that Donna was presumed to be a coom by stoutness of the parent. It wasn't until that that there is your own position of Moloko again various itself. If the situation is certainly very fluid and I suspect quite easy as the leading figures in that there are Mark Hulett today. What simply happened is that they did recognise TechNet or guard their responsibilities and they decided on the shore if you will a team. They also decided one very another all division of officers and of actual power among them. By the simple device of everybody getting hold of his own

machine. But that doesn't mean that there will stop a debt that they want him to use conniving against each other. Uniting one Cooper against another coup that if Marlen called would exercise too much power that some other people wouldn't unite and their united power might be considerably stronger than that of Moloch. This also of course perfectly possible that. Because Monaco yesterday had the edge and quite clearly the upper hand that he might marriage and in the end the Koreas. Here we are going to go with pure speculation. The possible alternative is suggests that themselves quite obviously are very complicated system of undermining each other and copy each other

thoughts. One of those men both parliament leave the marriage sauce you know that the others would simply have to recognize that and give up without a struggle. Holding such power as they may be able to hold with such power they may be able to or been deprived of such power as they even hold today because it is quite clear that any corresponding increase in Monaco's part in the near future would almost have to be mean a corresponding decrease in the power of Verio or the government for example. Well that's one alternative that this situation would emerge who had the supremacy of one man would be on challenge and the other man would simply give up or would be more or less quietly eliminated. When I say eliminate it if they don't have to be necessary liquidated physically they'll maybe hear more from dissenters of political goal.

Or just the other obvious alternatives that sooner or later they might hook clash and an open struggle for power. Are on the field that as of now what all indications suggest the former old guard is more likely that they don't station would be at least for external appearances more or less. Defected that we want. Nor are most of defects and that to us here is the situation in the Soviet Union would appear. Their goal of peaceful would not mean of course that on the surface there is a terrific he wouldn't be Gloria but it's quite possible that the article would never burst into open. A symposium on the death of Stalin presented by the Lowell Institute

cooperative broadcasting Council and W. GBH in Boston. The death of Stalin and the effects on communism in China and the law used by Benjamin I was assistant professor of history and government research associate Russian Research Center Harvard. And author of Mao and the rise of Chinese communism and co-author with John K. Farah bank of a documentary history of Chinese communism because of shorts. What has been the influence of Stalin on the Chinese communists. For the purposes of this discussion we're so much interested with the fact of his death I would rather not go into a long historic development. I would like to just give my thoughts on the possible effect of his death now in China. The first quality of Stalin that immediately occurs to me in connection with China is the oft mentioned quality of his cautiousness

ponderous patients. I think that in the last few years since the rise of the communist regime in China these qualities of Stalin which by the way by no means are always consistent qualities of his they were balanced also by an extreme recklessness on occasion but in the last few years in China since the coming of the Chinese communist to power I think that this started these Stalinist qualities have been very much manifested in their early in relationship to China. China as Soviet policy toward China as I conceive of it is marked by a remarkable degree of forbearance and holding back from from assertion of extreme control. That is if we view it against a background of Soviet policy to the whole satellite world that we do have here a case of exceptionalism. Now mind you I don't feel that Darwin's ultimate aims for China were perhaps very

different. From the same store the rest of the satellite world. But there are very many evidences of his willingness to make concessions. For instance to mention one thing that may seem rather minor and yet which may be rather major as a symptom of mild to Dong is it is it is granted a certain degree or for credit as a theoretician within the household of Marxism-Leninism his works are translated into Russian. He's built up as a sort of a second figure to Stalin within the Communist world. Although Stalin's first nurse of course was always very much underlined. Now the question which immediately occurs to them is will his successors or successor pursue carry on with this consciousness with this ponderous patients.

I would think that there are ultimately aims are probably the same as starlings namely to absorb all parts of the communist world into a tight unity a unity which is really conceived of in terms of complete domination by the Soviet Union. I can't feel that their aim is anything other than that for China. Experience has shown that it has been there for other parts of the world. But the question is will they realizes the need for forbearance for caution in the immediate picture. Now that's the question which I pose and how and Stalin's personality therefore may have a great bearing on this question of. Now there are other aspects of Stalin's death that are interesting I think as far as China is concerned. That is in the Chinese picture of communist evolution. You have the apostolic succession. Marx

Lenin Stalin and then they tack Mao on to the end of this. As being another contributor. Now if we assume a one man succession to Stalin. How will this man fit into the succession as far as the Chinese are concerned. I have a feeling that he can't possibly hold the same position within his position I would say as far as the Chinese is much more anomalous within this line of succession from mosques down through style through Lenin and Stalin to Mao than Stalin's ones. So I would think that the effect of his death within China would be to allow the Mao image within China to grow even greater than it has been till now. And of course Stalin is a party of size those. The predecessor of Mao. But I think it would be difficult

for any successor to fit in there any successor on the Russian seem to fit in there are quite on the same level as all these figures. Now of course the Russian Communist Party. Taken as a corporate unit it will certainly still enjoy a tremendous authority over the Chinese car Communist Party. But the absence of any figure comparable to Stalin is I think a one new factor to be watched for on the Chinese scene. There is one bit of speculation about Mile's position in the Chinese world however which leaves me rather cold. Namely the speculation that now that Stalin is dead and now that Mao is one of the most prominent figures in the communist world he may be given some position of authority. Of either Kremlin itself.