People's Democracy

  Stalin On Western Passivity

As early as November 7, 1941, Stalin had already raised the question of Western passivity. Speaking on the occasion of the 24^th Anniversary of the October Revolution Stalin said, “One of the reasons for the reverses of the Red Army is the absence of a second front in Europe against the German fascist troops. The fact of the matter is that at the present time there are no armies of Great Britain or the United States of America on the European continent to wage war against the German fascist troops, with the result that the Germans are not compelled to divide their forces and to wage war on two fronts, in the West and in the East.

“Well the effect of this is that the Germans, considering their rear in the West secure, are able to send all their troops and the troops of their allies in Europe against our country.

“The situation at present is such that our country is waging a war of liberation, single handed without military help from any one, against the combined forces of the Germans. Fins Romanians, Italians and Hungarians.”

But the front was not to be opened till May 1944, three years after Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union. Notwithstanding repeated assurances Britain and USA put off from month to month and year to year the opening of the second front. They broke one after another the promises they made to undertake an operation across the British channel in 1941, in 1942 and then in 1943.