Stalin—Iconoclast
In an exchange of letters published in Bolshevik, the leading journal of the Russian Communist Party, M. Stalin attacked the military doctrine of Clausewitz and Moltke, which, he said, had been unduly admired in Russia. He also attacked the contention that Lenin had been one of the admirers and pointed out that all Lenin admired in Clausewitz was his treatment of the political side of his theories. He then denounced flattery of himself, which he said made him quite uncomfortable, and went on to the antechamber of the holy of holies to disagree with Engels' opinion that Barclay de ToIly was a better General than Kutuzov. This disagreement over the merits of two dead Generals is hardly likely to have important repercussions except upon students of military history and a few fervent Scottish patriots, but the fact remains that there has seldom been such a formidable smashing of ikons in recent times. More- over M. Stalin's letter had its positive side, for It included a recall to Lenin's doctrine of dynamic Marxism, which clearly allowed for quite different developments in Russia from those in other countries ; and it was accompanied by an article from M. Vyshinsky underlining the specifically Stalinist theory of Communism in a single country, side by side with capitalism elsewhere. It is inevit- able that such pronouncements should be closely examined, and it is inevitable that their importance should be exaggerated. Do they denote any change of front? The only possible answer Is no. There is not one single feature of these statements—including the forth- right independence which does not spare even the name of Engels —which is inconsistent with M. Stalin's previous position. But the reaffirmation of M. Stalin's belief in the possibility of peaceful co-operation between the Soviet Union and the other Great Powers is welcome at this time. If it is accompanied by a more conciliatory attitude on the part of M. Molotov and an effective desire to reach a speedy agreement on Germany it will be more welcome still.
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