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access to International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-).
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tT HE nineteenth
congress
oftheCommunist
PartymetinMoscowin
OctoberI952 afteran intervalof thirteenyears. The previous
congressmetinMarchI939. According to thestatutesoftheParty,
a congressshouldmeetat leastoncein threeyears. In theearlyperiodof
Bolshevisma congressusedto meetat leastonce a year. One is,ofcourse,
entitledto ask what caused such a long intervalbetweenthe last two
congresses?Did the leaders of the Party explain it to the delegates?
Well,thecongresswas givenno explanationat all. Nobodyeventriedto
justifythe longpause. But the explanationis fairlyobvious:a congress
ofthePartyis nothingmorenowadaysthana relicofa veryremotepast.
In the old days a congresswas something real; the leadersof the Party
usedto appearon theplatform to givea genuineaccountoftheiractivities;
theyused to submitcontroversies to thejudgementoftherankand fileof
theParty,and await a verdict.At presenta congressis onlyan occasion
on whichtheleadersparadesuccesses,realorimaginary, ordrawa balance
sheetfora certainperiod.
Clearlytheleadersofthe Partydid not call a congressearlierbecause
theywereeithernot in a positionto paradesuccessesbeforethe country,
or theyfeltthat theycould not draw any definitebalance sheets. The
statutoryperiodwithinwhichthe nineteenthcongressshouldhave been
convenedwas in I942, some time betweenthe battles of Moscowand
Stalingrad. That was obviouslynot a time forcongress-making. At the
end of the war a victorycongressmighthave been held,but Russiawas
thenso deep in the aftermath ofwar,in the chaosand destruction caused
bythewar,thatthe leadersagainfeltthatthiswas nota timeforthemto
facethecountry.
About I948, a changeforthe betterhad begunin Russia's economic
situation,but the change was rathermnodest, and the international
situationwas extremely confused.The Tito controversy had just started.
It was notclearhowthiswouldaffect thesituationinEasternEurope. The
cold war was in one of its initialphases,and Stalin and his lieutenants
preferrednon-committal silence.
At last this year the Politburoapparentlyfeltthat it could draw a
balancesheet,and onewhichwas fromitspointofviewquitesatisfactory.
As I have indicated,the congressdid not and could not become the
I49