The Union of the Soviet Republics

Stalin’s report delivered at the Tenth All-Russian Congress of Soviets on December 26, 1922. It was first published in Pravda issue No. 295, December 28, 1922. The Chinese translation is included in Vol. 5 of the Complete Works of Stalin.

Stalin first explained the reason why the unification issue of the republics was brought to the deliberation of the Congress, that is, before the opening of the Congress, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee received a number of demands from the Azerbaijanian, Armenian and Georgian Republics, which were later joined by the Ukrainian and Byelorussian Republics which proposed that the old treaty relations—the relations established by the conventions between the R.S.F.S.R. and the other Soviet republics—have served their purpose and are no longer adequate. The idea of the campaign is that we must inevitably pass from the old treaty relations to relations based on a closer union—relations which imply the creation of a single union state with corresponding Union executive and legislative organs, with a Central Executive Committee and a Council of People's Commissars of the Union. Consequently, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee considered these demands and declared that such a unification was opportune.

Stalin summed up the three groups of circumstances which inevitably pushed the union of the Soviet republics into a single unified state. The first group of circumstances consisted of facts relating to internal economic situation.

Firstly, the meagreness of the economic resources left at the disposal of the republics after seven years of war. This compels us to combine these meagre resources so as to employ them more rationally and to develop the main branches of our economy which form the backbone of Soviet power in all the republics.

Secondly, the historically evolved natural division of labor, the economic division of labor, between the various regions and republics of our federation. And this division of labor, which makes the full development of the individual regions impossible as long as each republic leads a separate existence, is compelling the republics to unite in a single economic whole.

Thirdly, the unity of the principal means of communication in the entire federation, constituting the nerves and foundation of any possible union. The means of communication cannot be allowed to have a divided existence, at the disposal of the individual republics and subordinated to their interests for that would convert the main nerve of economic life— transport—into a conglomeration of separate parts utilised without a plan.

Fourthly, due to the meagreness of the republics it is obviously necessary to join forces and combine the financial strength of the individual republics into a single whole, without which we cannot succeed in solving the fundamental and current problems of the financial systems of our republics.

The second group of circumstances that have determined the union of the republics are facts relating to the international situation.

Firstly, the republics face a common military threat from foreign enemies. This threat demands that our military front should be absolutely united, that our army should be an absolutely united army. Furthermore, apart from the military danger, there is the danger of the economic isolation of the current federation. Lastly, the republics may face a situation of diplomatic isolation any time again as seen in recent history, consequently a united front is also needed in the diplomatic field.

Stalin, lastly explained the third group of facts, which also call for unification and which are associated with the structure of the Soviet regime, with the class nature of the Soviet regime. The Soviet regime is internationalist in its intrinsic nature which fosters the idea of union among the masses. Soviet regime is not based on private property but on collective property. The very nature of the regime fosters among the laboring masses a natural striving towards union in a single socialist family.

On the issue of the path to the unification, Stalin refuted the view that the “R.S.F.S.R. not to join the Union of Republics as an integrated federal unit”, refuted the view that the republics comprising the R.S.F.S.R. should join the Union of Republics individually. Instead Stalin argued that this would lead to two consequences, one is to disunite the already existing integrated federal units, the other is to cause unnecessary and harmful organizational perturbations. Stalin proposed: the parties to the formation of the union should be the four Republics: the R.S.F.S.R., the Transcaucasian Federation, the Ukraine, and Byelorussia.

Stalin put forward the principle of drafting a joint treaty text and submitted a draft resolution with seven articles which was approved by the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Stalin pointed out that since the socialist Soviet republics were formed, the states of the world have split into two camps: the camp of socialism and the camp of capitalism. In the camp of capitalism there are imperialist wars, national strife, oppression, colonial slavery and chauvinism. In the camp of the Soviets, the camp of socialism, there are, on the contrary, mutual confidence, national equality of rights and the peaceful co-existence and fraternal co-operation among the peoples.

Finally, in respect to the third group of circumstances Stalin stressed that the Soviet power succeeded in laying the foundation for the peaceful co-existence and fraternal co-operation of peoples. The next task of the Soviet Union should be to build on this foundation a new edifice by forming a new and mighty union state of the working people. Stalin hoped that the new unified state would be another decisive step towards the union of the working people of the whole world into a World Soviet Socialist Republic.

Shortly after the meeting, on December 30th, 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USS.R.) was established, and a new chapter in human history was opened.