Joseph Stalin Quotes

“History shows that when a state is intent upon making war against another state, even though not adjacent, it begins to seek frontiers across which it could reach the frontiers of the state which it desires to attack. Usually, the aggressive state finds that frontier.”

“Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.”

“To assert that we desire to bring about revolution in other countries, by interfering with their lives, is to speak of something which does not exist and which we never preach.”

“The only real power comes out of a long rifle.”

“We desire to give the Soviet people absolute liberty of voting for those they desire to elect, those whom they trust to ensure their interests.”

“There is not, nor should there be, an irreconcilable contrast between the individual and the collective, between the interests of an individual person and the interests of the collective.”

“Do you remember the tsar? Well, I‘m like a tsar.”

“The Jews are not a nation!”

“Hitlers come and go, but Germany and the German people remain.”

“One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.”

“Are there no American citizens sympathizing with whiteguard emigres who conduct propaganda in favor of capitalism, against the Soviets? Then what does the point involve? The point is not to assist these persons, not to finance their activities. The point is that officials of both countries should not interfere in the internal affairs of the other country.”

“Revolution, the substitution of one social system for another, has always been a struggle, a painful and a cruel struggle, a life and death struggle.”

“I fail to see what dangers surrounding states can see in the ideas of the Soviet people if these states are really firmly seated in their saddles.”

“When you chop wood, splinters fly”

“If any foreign minister begins to defend to the death a 'peace conference,' you can be sure his government has already placed its orders for new battleships and airplanes.”

“Universal, equal, direct and secret elections in the U.S.S.R. will be a whip in the hands of the population against poorly functioning organs of government.”

“We think that a powerful and vigorous movement is impossible without differences - "true conformity" is possible only in the cemetery.”

“Everybody has a right to be stupid, but some people abuse the privilege.”

“Words are one thing - deeds something entirely different. Fine words are a mask to cover shady deeds. A sincere diplomat is like dry water or wooden iron.”

“As you can see, even when [Adolf] Hitler desires to speak for peace, he cannot dispense with threats. This is symptomatic.”

“[Maxim] Litvinov signed his letter not in private capacity but as representative of the state, just as did President [Franklin] Roosevelt. Their agreement represents an agrement between two states. Signing this agreement both Litvinov and President Roosevelt as therepresentatives of two states have in mind the activities of the agents of those states who should not and will not interfere in each other's internal affairs.”

“It was necessary, temporarily, to limit certain requirements, accumulate necessary means, strain forces. We acted precisely in this way and built a socialist society.”

“Each country, if it so desires, will make its own revolution. And if no such desire exists, no revolution will occur.”

“In the future, there will be fewer but better Russians.”

“In a socialist society, everybody is obliged to work even though he is remunerated for his labor and not yet according to his needs, but according to the quantity and quality of the labor expended.”