p DEZS\+O NEMES

p MEMBER OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU OF THE HUNGARIAN
SOCIALIST WORKERS’ PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF N6PSZABADSAG

p Dear comrades, the 60th anniversary of the Great October Revolution is an outstanding international political event of our time, a signal socio-political landmark in the historical process of transition from capitalism to socialism.

p I would like to speak here about the celebration of this jubilee in our country.

p It was with great enthusiasm that the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party and all the working people of our country celebrated the jubilee of the Great October Revolution and the labour and combat exploits of the past 60 years along the road to advanced socialist society. In Hungary, as in the great Soviet Land and other fraternal socialist countries, the jubilee impelled an upsurge of creative work. The socialist emulation movement gained fresh momentum. The experience of the Great October Socialist Revolution and its global significance are being studied with deep care. More research is being conducted into the historic implications of the building of the world’s first socialist society, the process of socialism growing into a worldwide system, and the historic contest and 100 struggle of the two world systems. There is a growing understanding of the Soviet Union’s role in the radical changes in the world over the past 60 years.

p The jubilee of the Great October Revolution and the study of its lessons and international significance includes, in our country, analysis of its impact on the Hungarian working-class movement and progressive forces. We cannot help recalling here the Hungarian Soviet Republic created in March 1919 under the influence of the ideas of the October Revolution. The fact that the Soviet Land repulsed all imperialist attacks and scored great victories in building the new life in face of many obstacles was of tremendous moral and political significance for the Hungarian working-class movement in the difficult period of counter-revolution and in the period of the fascist Horthy regime established after the military intervention of the Entente. This gave hope to the working class and its allies, tormented and humiliated by the counter-revolution, and enabled them to believe that they would regain their freedom soon and again take power.

p Then came the days of decisive change in the destiny of the Hungarian people. This was in 1944-45, when the Soviet Army, the army of liberation, drove the nazi hordes out of our land, opening the way to the national democratic rebirth of the Hungarian people.

p This makes it quite clear, I hope, that the working people of our country are keenly aware of the historic significance of the Great October Revolution and of the mission of liberation performed by the Soviet Union in the course of the Second World War, and of the fact that the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the burden of that war. Marking the jubilee of the October Revolution we recall with special gratitude those who laid down their lives in the fight for freedom and whose memory will live forever in the hearts of the Hungarian people.

p Hungary’s embarking on the road of socialist construction and the historic successes achieved on that road 101 further deepened the ideological and political consciousness of our people.

p It must be noted, however, that the former leadership committed adventuristic and criminal mistakes, which were exploited by the external and internal enemies to create ideological and political confusion in the 50s. They encouraged in every way those political figures whom they hoped to employ for their purposes, played them up as "true Marxists" and attempted a counter-revolutionary uprising in 1956. Events have shown that distortion of Leninist policy, adventurism, “left”, right, or any other deviations, may lead to dangerous consequences even despite important economic and cultural achievements.

p Reorganising its ranks in the course of the battle against the counter-revolutionary uprising, our Party did much to expose overt and covert enemies, and succeeded by persuasion to bring back to the true path those misled and deceived by enemy propaganda. This required rectification of earlier mistakes and elaboration of a truly Leninist policy suiting the actual conditions of socialist construction in the country. This was accomplished by the new leadership headed by Comrade Janos Kadar. The developments of the past 20 years have shown that correct application of the ideas of the Great October Revolution yields good results.

p Our country embarked on building socialism in the course of socialism’s transformation into a world system, and became a member of the new community of socialist states. In this, like the other fraternal countries, Hungary was helped in every way by the Soviet Union and benefited by its extensive experience of building socialism as the world’s first socialist state. It is true that the correct answer to the question of how to apply a fraternal country’s experience-in a mechanical or creative manner-depends on the policy of the Party and government, on their ability to implement a truly Leninist course. This in turn requires consistent creative work.

p The study and application of the experience of the fraternal countries, especially the rich experience of the Soviet Union, is one of the key factors in our country’s successful development. The Hungarian people have a deep understanding of the significance of this, and this has been largely instrumental in furthering Hungarian-Soviet friendship which has its roots in the profound solidarity of the Hungarian workers with their Russian brothers, and in making that friendship indestructible.

p We can safely say that the celebration of the anniversary of the Great October Revolution has given added momentum to the ideological and political education of Communists and all working people in Hungary.

p Permit me to say a few words about the international ideological struggle that has erupted in connection with this jubilee of the October Revolution. It is well known that from the very moment the Soviet state came into existence, international reaction has made anti-Sovietism the basis of its propaganda. Since socialism has become a world system, capitalist anti-Soviet propaganda has been supplemented by propaganda against other socialist countries, though it is still spearheaded against the Soviet Union, the bastion of socialism and of mankind’s progress in general.

p It is the order of the day to expose and refute all antiSoviet slander in order successfully to combat the dominance of capitalist monopolies and all imperialist manoeuvres, and to fight for the power of the people, for socialism.

p Anti-Sovietism is the chief ideological and political weapon of international reaction in its struggle against socialism and universal progress. Anti-Sovietism is also employed by those who conspire with the imperialists, resort to unscrupulous manoeuvring, and give direct support to the military preparations of the imperialist states. Some Peking leaders, having failed in their attempts to impose Maoism on the world communist movement, are 103 now calling on the capitalist states to join them in fighting the USSR. Yet, these Chinese leaders still call themselves “Communists”.

p It is appropriate here to recall Comrade Kadar’s words that "there is no such thing as anti-Soviet communism, nor can there be”, and this either in Chinese or any other garb.

p The world working-class movement and the world antiimperialist front hope that the leadership of the People’s Republic of China will return to the path of friendship and unity with other socialist countries and all the anti-imperialist forces of the world. This would accord with the vital interests of the Chinese people and help strengthen all progressive forces in the anti-imperialist struggle.

Despite malicious anti-Soviet propaganda, the forces of socialism and progress are scoring ever new victories. Evidence of this is the impressive scope of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution in all parts of the world.