Vukašin Žunic | New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (Serbia)
Dear Comrades,
I warmly thank the comrades of the CPRF for organizing this vital forum eighty years after the triumph over Nazi-fascism—a victory forged through immense sacrifice and international solidarity. Today, as we confront the resurgence of fascism in new forms, we must draw strength from the lessons of history and renew our commitment to the struggle.
The Legacy of Anti-Fascist Victory
It was the Soviet Union—the ideological antithesis of fascism—that bore the heaviest burden in defeating the Third Reich. From the defense of Moscow in the winter of 1941 to the titanic clash at Berlin in 1945, Soviet soldiers sacrificed an estimated 20 million lives. Their courage turned the tide of the war. On May 1, 1945, a Red Army soldier raised the Red Banner of Victory atop the Reichstag, symbolizing not just military conquest but a moral triumph over the darkest totalitarianism.
Across Europe, communist-led resistance movements rose against fascist occupation. In Yugoslavia, the Partisans—a multiethnic force guided by egalitarian principles—have liberated their homeland alone and with the Red Army through relentless struggle. From the mountains of Greece to the forests of Belarus, fighters tied down Axis forces, sabotaged supply lines, and provided critical intelligence to the Allies. These movements proved that fascism could only be crushed through collective action rooted in class consciousness and internationalism.
Historical Roots
Fascism emerged in Europe as capitalism’s crisis management. The interwar period (1918–1939) exposed the rot of imperialism: economic collapse, colonial exploitation, and the bourgeoisie’s terror at the prospect of socialist revolution. The Great Depression shattered liberal illusions, pushing ruling classes to abandon democracy for open dictatorship. In Germany, monopoly capital backed Hitler to crush workers’ movements and expand markets through war. In Italy, Mussolini’s Blackshirts were bankrolled by industrialists to dismantle unions and socialist parties. Fascism, as Lenin warned, is capitalism’s “open terrorist dictatorship” when the system faces existential threats from below.
Fascism’s Resurgence: A Product of Capitalist Crisis
We gather today not only to honor the past but to confront a grave reality: fascism, though defeated in 1945, has found new strength. Neo-Nazism is not an aberration but a symptom of capitalism’s endless crises. Just as the Great Depression birthed Hitler’s regime, today’s social inequalities, imperialist wars, and neoliberal austerity fuel far-right movements.
Since the 2008 financial collapse, working-class communities have been devastated by privatization, wage cuts, and austerity. Far-right demagogues exploit this despair, scapegoating migrants, leftists, and minorities. NATO’s wars in the Middle East and Africa—driven by imperialist greed—have displaced millions, creating refugee flows that fascists weaponize to stoke xenophobia. Meanwhile, liberal democracies, paralyzed by their allegiance to capital, offer no solutions. The result? Parties like Germany’s AfD, France’s National Rally, and Hungary’s Jobbik rebrand fascist rhetoric as “patriotism,” while paramilitary groups like Ukraine’s Azov Battalion and Greece’s Golden Dawn terrorize peoples and marginalized communities. Even state institutions, from Germany’s Bundeswehr to Spain’s security forces, tolerate or collaborate with far-right networks.
The Communist Response: Unity, Struggle, Socialism
Comrades, fascism is capitalism in decay. To defeat it, we must attack its roots.
1. Class Unity Over Division: Neo-Nazis seek to splinter workers by race, religion, or nationality. We must unite the proletariat across borders, exposing the true enemy: the capitalist oligarchy that profits from exploitation and war.
2. Mass Mobilization: History teaches us that fascism cannot be debated away. Like the partisans of WWII, we must build militant resistance—street demonstrations, strikes, and antifascist self-defense—to disrupt far-right networks.
3. Expose State Complicity: Capitalist states have always used fascists as a cudgel against the left. We must expose and dismantle these alliances, whether in police collusion or electoral opportunism.
4. Build the Socialist Alternative: Fascism thrives where capitalism fails. Only socialism—a system prioritizing workers’ rights, equality, and international solidarity—can eradicate the conditions that breed hatred and fear.
No Pasaran!
The soldiers who raised the red banner over Berlin believed fascism was vanquished forever. Yet today, as neo-Nazis march in European capitals, we face a stark truth: the fight is never truly over. Liberals and reformists will not save us. Only a revolutionary working-class movement, armed with the lessons of 1945 and unwavering solidarity, can ensure fascism’s final defeat.
Let us honor the heroes of the past by building a future rooted in justice. Let us rise, united and vigilant, to crush this resurgent evil.
No Pasaran!
Long live international solidarity!
Long live the struggle for socialism!