User:Compassionate727/Drafts/Scorched earth speech

On 3 July 1941, Iosif Stalin delivered a speech in Red Square and over radio in response to Operation Barbarossa. In it, he announced a scorched earth policy.

Background
On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany and its allies invaded the Soviet Union in the largest invasion in history, involving three million Wehrmacht soldiers. The surprised Soviet military was swiftly overwhelmed.

Synopsis
The speech begins by addressing the military situation. Stalin claims that the Wehrmacht's best elements have already been destroyed. He argues that Soviet defeats and territorial losses were caused by Germany's superior preparedness, not strength, and that the German military only seems invincible because it has never before encountered serious resistance. He attributes the Soviet Union's unreadiness to Hitler's "sudden" betrayal of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

Stalin then justifies the decision to enter a non-aggression pact with Germany. He argues that no peace-loving nation could decline a non-aggression pact with anyone, that the pact bought a year and a half of peace for the Soviet Union to prepare, that the advantages Germany bought itself are transient, and that the Soviet Union has benefitted politically and diplomatically from Hitler's betrayal.

Stalin celebrates the heroism of the Red Army and Red Navy and the growing strength of their resistance. He calls for the nation to not be complacent, warning that Germany seeks to destroy the Soviet nations and way of life, and to show courage. He exhorts the people to fully mobilize against the invaders and calls for the eradication of internal elements that undermine the war effort. He also orders that all valuable resources must be evacuated or destroyed in case of retreat and that guerilla forces be organized to fight the invaders behind their lines.

Stalin concludes by promising that the Soviet Union shall have the support of the Allies and occupied Europe in their war, which is not only a war of defense, but of liberation. Finally, he announces the formation of the People's Guards and the State Committee of Defense.

Reception and commentary
The speech was delivered in Red Square to a crowd that reportedly listened in complete silence. It was also broadcast over radio and printed the following day in Pravda, which was prominently and widely displayed. The speech resulted in an immediate increase in popular support for the war.