Аннотация: The Monologue on the so-called Eastern policy
The Monologue on the so-called Eastern policy
Stalin has glanced at the shelf with books. "Ilyich has written a much !" "How many he knows languages?" "He knows the Chinese language? There are no data about this."
""Revolutionary" events in 1923 in Germany have come to the end without success ... It is improbable that the level of activity has decreased ..." "Whereto now?"
The assistant has come into the office-room and has put on a table the list of the comrades, planned for a trip to China as advisers.
Stalin with interest has looked at the list.
He has taken the book by T.Ed. O'Connor "Chicherin" (О'Коннор, Тимоти Эдвард. Георгий Чичерин и советская внешняя политика 1918-1930 гг. / Пер. с англ. - М.: Прогресс, 1991. - 320 с.) from the book shelf.
[The further translation of quotes from the book by T.Ed. O'Connor: from Russian into English].
"...Russia - the first Asian country to rebel against capitalist exploitation - could lead the movement of colonies that wanted independence and national self-determination."
"What does that mean?"- Stalin thought about the list of future advisers. - "Future leaders of Eastern policy"?"
He has remembered words from Sergei Witte's memoirs: "Mandjuria could not be ours ... Neither America, nor Britain, nor Japan, nor all of their allies, explicit or secret, nor China would never agree to give us Mandjuria. That is why keeping to the conviction that one way or another, but it is necessary to seize all of Mandjuria, it was impossible to avoid the war."
Stalin continued to look through the book by T.Ed. O'Connor.
"...The tsarist government was concerned only with expanding the limits of the Empire for the exploitation of colonial peoples. The Soviets were supporting the independent economic and political development of the countries of Asia and the East.. ... ... Chicherin supported the idea of a defensive Union of Soviet Russia and the countries of Asia and the East, directed against British imperialism, which will merge the goals of national liberation movements in these countries and the struggle of Russian workers for building a socialist society."
"They haven't achieved success in Germany, in general, in Western Europe. Now - the countries of Asia and the East?" - Stalin thought.
"In the summer of 1926, the forces of the national liberation movement have begun the movement from the Canton to the North - in the direction of Beijing. They were divided into two armies: one where there were Soviet military advisers and the Chinese communists, has moved to depth of the country through Wuhan. Chiang Kai-shek has set other army in the direction of the coast where hoped for the help of the western powers. At capture of Shanghai on April 11, 1927 he has won a victory over communists. Soon after that he announced Nanjing the capital of the country, thus having definitively torn with the Wuhan group. By March, 1927 Borodin and the most part of the Soviet military experts have returned to the Soviet Union as the revolutionary government in Wuhan has broken up. In reply Moscow has refused to recognize Kuomintang and has called the Chinese communists for a revolt against Chiang Kai-shek. The idea of the "Cantonese commune" ended in December with the defeat of the Communists. By 1928 Chiang Kai-shek has carried out reunification of China under own leadership."
"(...) Trotsky has proposed the plan of creation of the new Communist International [Comintern]. The idea has been approved by the small group of Bolsheviks among whom there was also Chicherin."
"Chicherin and Stalin have confronted in March, 1921 when the party was preparing for the X Congress. Stalin, as the main authoritative person of party on an ethnic question, has published the theses on this subject so that they were discussed prior to the Congress. The People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs has published a series of articles in the Pravda, polemizing with Stalin's theses".
"Failures of communists and successes of nationalists [in China] showed that the analysis of a situation, was made by Trotsky, in essence, was true", - the one of theses of T.Ed. O'Connor.
"Communists, nationalists ..." - Stalin's thoughts have returned to a situation in China. - "Why in general all this is necessary? What Russia possessed and received on "the Far East direction" at the end of 19 - the beginning of 20 centuries? The KVZhD (the Chinese Eastern Railway) project? Large costs of construction of this railroad? This railroad now as the footwear, which jammed in the iron trap. Something with this railroad should be done ... We will tinker with this railroad till 1952 ... What else Russia received? The war with Japan in 1904-1905? A war that nearly destroyed the Russian Empire? What now? "Western" direction showed its hopelessness? They want to realize themselves at "East? But it's not so a simple!.. The tension with the USA, Great Britain, in general, with all the Western world, is fueled ... A new test for Russia is prepearing? It may be even heavier if we compare it to the war of 1904-1905?'
"For Chicherin, unlike many communists", - Stalin continued to read, - ""East question" represented something bigger, than the depressing need to switch to statement of revolutionary tasks in the Far and Middle East after crash of the idea of socialist revolution in Western Europe. According to his opinion, the national liberation movement and disintegration of colonial empires in the East may be a chance for the subsequent success of socialist revolution in the West."
"In November, 1926 Chicherin has left from the Soviet Russia to Western Europe for treatment", - Stalin remembered. - "In fact, he then has departed from the management of the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs ... ... Diabetes ... polyneuritis." "Fears of rather possible war, have reached the apogee in the summer and fall of 1927". "In the middle of 1927 Chicherin gives to resignation which hasn't been accepted due a number of reasons. But his diseases were developing. At the end of June, 1927 Chicherin comes back to the Soviet Russia, but in September, 1928 he goes to Germany for rest and treatment again. On January 6, 1930 he comes back to Russia. On July 25, 1930 has been dismissed from the position due to illness. Diseases amplified. He have died on July 7, 1936."
"Gradually we will come by July 7, 1937. To the beginning of the World War II",- the thought has come. - "New tasks and challenges will arise ..." "China will become the our ally ..."
A some party's functionary has entered the office-room according to the business schedule, made earlier.
"Do you know Chinese language, comrade Ezhov?" - Stalin has asked him. - "You don't master the Chinese language?" "What do you know about Confucius?" "You can't remember up the anything at once?" "As Vladimir Ilyich said, "we have such a big household, that any energetic person is necessary"".
The working day proceeded.
July 24, 2018 09: 32
Translation from Russian into English: July 24, 2018 20:28.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Монолог о так называемой восточной политике'.