[introduction.]

The historical supremacy of the socialist military organisation is an objective and logical phenomenon. It is conditioned by the entire course of historical development, by the dynamics of the alignment of forces in the world which is constantly changing in favour of progress, and by the historically inevitable victory of socialism and communism. This supremacy has been proved in practice by the glorious history of the Soviet Armed Forces, it has been confirmed by the entire experience of the military development in the countries of the socialist community.

Objective Prerequisites for the Supremacy of the Socialist Military Organisation

p The more than half-century that has passed since the Great October Socialist Revolution has convincingly demonstrated that the victory of socialism in a single country was an inevitable result of the laws of social development. It proved the correctness of the scientific theory and programme of the proletarian revolution worked out by Lenin and by the Party created by him. This programme corresponded to the objective historically-matured requirements of social development, the vital interests of the popular masses in Russia and those of the vast majority of the world population. It is for these reasons that the socialist programme and the peace-loving policy of the Soviet state could firmly rely on the broadest support of the popular masses in the USSR and in other countries, and notably on the active support and solidarity of the international proletariat. The Great October Socialist Revolution thus had a world-wide basis, one much broader than that possessed by any other revolution before it.

p The first attack by the imperialist aggressors on the Soviet Union demonstrated that war against a socialist state 269 is dangerous not only to the armies of the aggressors, but also to the whole capitalist social system, to the monopoly bourgeoisie’s political power. The Armed Forces of the young Soviet Republic, defending the humane ideas of peace and progress, turned out to be invincible even though the aggressive military machine of the imperialists facing them was superior in strength. The country was surrounded by imperialist powers which were much stronger in economic and military respects, but they, Lenin said, could not carry out their intention of directly and immediately stifling Soviet Russia. “Materially—economically and militarily,” Lenin said, “we are extremely weak; but morally—by which, of course, I mean not abstract morals, but the alignment of the real forces of all classes in all countries—we are the strongest of all. This has been proved in practice; it has been proved not merely by words but by deeds; it has been proved once and, if history takes a certain turn, it will, perhaps, be proved many times again."  [269•1 

p The October Revolution made the Soviet Republic strong not only in moral-political respects, but created conditions to raise it to a higher stage in economic, socio-political and scientific respects. This created the necessary and decisive conditions for the supremacy of the socialist military organisation over the military organisation of the imperialist states.

p The supremacy and invincibility of the military organisation of the socialist type directly reflect the objective law of the inevitable victory of the new progressive social system that is replacing the old, reactionary social system.

p Throughout history the military organisation of the emergent social system proved victorious in the end. The progressive development of human society would be impossible if reactionaries could always suppress the new social system by means of armed violence. The social revolution of the emergent class, born by the historical necessity of creating new relations of production, inevitably triumphs over the armed violence applied by the reactionary classes. History shows that the armed resistance of the working class is always victorious in the end, because it relies on a higher socio-economic organisation, on the most advanced social 270 class. ”...The revolution triumphs if it brings to the forefront the advanced class which strikes effectively at exploitation”, directs all its efforts at the extermination of the oppressor class and the economic conditions for the existence of that class. “Force can be used even if those who resort to it have no economic roots, but in that case, history will doom it to failure. But force can be applied with the backing of the advanced class, relying on the loftier principles of the socialist system, order and organisation. In that case, it may suffer temporary failure, but in the long run it is invincible."  [270•1 

p The invincibility of the socialist military organisation and its supremacy over the imperialist military organisation are a direct result of the supremacy of the socialist social system over the bourgeois in material and spiritual respects. In economic respects the supremacy of socialism over capitalism, its historical invincibility is secured primarily by the socialist system of economy, by socialist ownership of the means of production. The socialist economic system secures higher growth rates of the productive forces and a higher labour productivity and, in the final analysis this, Lenin pointed out, is the most important, the principal thing for the victory of the new social system.

p The socialist mode of production pursues the aim of achieving the greatest possible welfare for all members of society. It is characterised by the planned, proportionate development of the economy, ensures high growth rates for the material and technical basis of the country’s defensive capability, a fundamentally new social basis of the armed forces. The socialist mode of production makes it possible to create and develop a qualitatively higher, more efficient type of modern military organisation, to mobilise the greatest amount of resources necessary for the conduct of war, to secure the highest combat efficiency and morale in the armed forces and invincible staunchness and endurance in the popular masses at the front and in the rear throughout the war. The working people in town and country and not landowners and capitalists, become the masters of their country and are therefore interested in political, as well as material respects in defending their revolutionary gains, 271 willingly make any sacrifices, perform deeds of mass heroism, bravery and courage, firmness and fearlessness in combat.

p After the triumph of the October Revolution and the formation of the world socialist system the development of many countries is guided by the internal laws of the new mode of production. The sphere of operation of these laws extends with the successes of world socialism, while the sphere of the action of the laws of capitalism is shrinking. All this has a telling effect on social and military development.

p The basis making the socialist military organisation invincible is extended and consolidated not only by new breaks in the imperialist chain brought about by socialist revolutions, but also by the disintegration of the colonial system of imperialism, by the upsurge of the national liberation struggle.

p One of the most important reasons for the invincibility and supremacy of the military organisation of the socialist states is the international character of the aims pursued by the latter, and hence of the aims they achieve in the wars against imperialist aggressors. Therefore, in addition to the internal unity and cohesion of socialist society, its power and invincibility rest upon the international community of its interests and aims with those of the working people of all countries, upon the international cohesion of socialist society with the revolutionary and progressive forces opposing imperialism throughout the world.

The Soviet state, having implemented radical socioeconomic and political transformations in the course of socialist construction, has created an aggregate of economic, scientific, moral and military possibilities for the conduct of war, which no other state has ever possessed. Relying on Soviet experience, this road has been taken also by the other countries of the socialist community.

Subjective Conditions for the Realisation of the Advantages of Socialism in the Interests of Victory

p The historical invincibility of the military organisation of the socialist type is conditioned primarily by the objective laws of social development, but the subjective factors born of the new socialist social relations also have a major role to play. The socialist social and state system creates the stable socio-political conditions, on which the 272 political and military leadership relies in carrying out measures to strengthen the country’s defences and secure victory over the enemy in the war. The victory over the aggressive armed forces of the imperialist states is achieved by the comprehensive and efficient mobilisation of the objective and subjective factors promoting victory, of the physical and spiritual energy of the peoples of the socialist states, the officers and men of their armed forces.

p The experience of the first socialist state in the world has shown that the transformation of the material and spiritual possibilities of victory into reality is an extremely complex creative process, in which the decisive role belongs to the conscious activity of many millions of people, to the organisational and ideological work of the Communist Party, the Soviet Government and the military command. The Communist Party inculcates ideas of the defence of the socialist country in the Soviet people and thereby ensures the all-sided development of the subjective factors securing victory in the war. It creates the conditions which make it possible to use the material and spiritual possibilities of the socialist state at the proper time, to mobilise the moral, economic and military might of the country for the purpose of routing imperialist aggressors. The military ideological education of the people ensures the opportune transformation of the country into a single military camp, the firm unity of rear and front during the war.

p The Marxist-Leninist teaching shows that the military ideology of imperialism is historically fallacious and that the victory of the socialist military organisation over the bourgeois organisation is an objective law. Only MarxismLeninism makes possible a scientific cognition of the laws of war as a social phenomenon and thereby reveals the scientifically based ways of achieving victory in the struggle of the two opposing military systems and the objectively logical prospects for the inevitable victory of the military organisation of the socialist states. The application of the Marxist-Leninist theory for the solution of socio-political and military-technical problems of the conduct of war, for working out a single military doctrine, gives effective results, secures the supremacy of the socialist military doctrine and military science over its bourgeois counterparts. MarxismLeninism is the most powerful ideological weapon of the 273 Party and the people in the military field. It is no less important in military questions than it is in socio-political questions, it is the most important prerequisite for the invincibility of the socialist military organisation.

p The victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War was an incontestable proof of the viability of Lenin’s ideas, of the historical invincibility of the socialist state and its Armed Forces. The results of the war have convincingly demonstrated that there are no forces in the world capable of crushing socialism, placing on its knees a people faithful to the ideas of Marxism-Leninism, devoted to its socialist country, closely rallied round its Party. These results are a stern warning to the imperialist aggressors, a grim and unforgettable historical lesson to them.

p The fact that the Soviet people now live for the third decade in conditions of peace and are able to dedicate their powers to the building of communism shows that the defence of the USSR is reliable. The invincible military might of the Soviet state is embodied in the high combat efficiency and morale of its Armed Forces, in their combat readiness and their willingness decisively to rout any imperialist aggressor.

The further strengthening of the might of the Soviet military organisation depends on how skilfully and effectively the military cadres are able to use the growing possibilities of science, technology and weaponry, how fully the training and education of the personnel of the Armed Forces corresponds to modern demands, on how fully Soviet military theory is embodied in military practice.

p Thus, the armed forces of the socialist states are the main weapon for the defence of the new system’s achievements. As regards their socio-political essence and historical purpose they are an organ of the socialist state, and the MarxistLeninist Parties are their leading and organising force. While each of the socialist armies is marked by specific forms as regards its emergence, formation, national traditions and customs, the main role is played by common development features. The community of the fraternal armies is conditioned by the fact that they have an economic and 274 political system of the same type, a common ideology and common aims and tasks.

p The unity of the armies of the socialist states finds a vivid expression in their military co-operation in the form of the Warsaw Treaty and the bilateral agreements on friendship, co-operation and mutual assistance. The MarxistLeninist Parties give unflagging attention to the further consolidation of the military co-operation of the socialist states.

The supremacy of the socialist military organisation is inherent in the very nature of socialism, in the character and specific features of the armies of the new type. Relying on the objective prerequisites of that supremacy, the Soviet soldiers tirelessly raise the military might of the Army and Navy in order always to be ready to smash any aggressor.