Toast to the Russian People at a Reception in Honour of the Red Army Commanders Given by the Soviet Government in the Kremlin

Thursday, May 24, 1945

Comrades! Permit me to propose one more, last toast.

I should like to propose a toast to the health of our Soviet people, and in the first place the Russian people. (Loud and prolonged applause and shouts of "Hurrah.")

I drink in the first place to the health of the Russian people because it is the most outstanding nation of all the nations forming the Soviet Union.

I propose a toast to the health of the Russian people because it has won in this war universal recognition as the leading force of the Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country.

I propose a toast to the health of the Russian people not only because it is the leading people, but also because it possesses a clear mind, a staunch character and patience.

Our Government made not a few errors, we experienced at moments a desperate situation in 1941-1942, when our Army was retreating, abandoning our own villages and towns of the Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia, the Leningrad region, the Baltic area and the Karelo-Finnish Republic, abandoning them because there was no other way out. A different people could have said to the Government "You have failed to justify our expectations. Go away. We shall install another Government which will conclude peace with Germany and assure us a quiet life." The Russian people, however, did not take this path because it trusted the correctness of the policy of its Government, and it made sacrifices to ensure the rout of Germany. This confidence of the Russian people in the Soviet Government proved to be that decisive force which ensured the historic victory over the enemy of humanity – over fascism.

Thanks to it, the Russian people, for this confidence!

To the health of the Russian people! (Loud and prolonged applause.)

("Stalin's War Speeches, etc." p. 138)