Celebrate the Twenty-Fourth
Anniversary of the Red Army
(February 18, 1942)
February 23 of this year is the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Soviet Red Army.
As this day is approaching, one is especially reminded of the time when the Red
Army was founded. The Red Army was born during the fighting against the
German imperialists’ attack on Leningrad, and today’s Red Army is again waging
a decisive battle against the German Fascist aggressors. But precisely this year,
not only is the strength of the Red Army many times greater than when it was
just founded but it is even greater than before June 22 of last year. Today’s Red
Army is now the mightiest in its history and has proved, through the toughening
of eight months of fighting, to be the most powerful army in the world. At
present, when the world is divided into two major camps of Fascists and anti-Fascists, and a final and decisive battle is being waged between them, the Red
Army is the main hope of the vast majority of people in the world. The
anniversary of the Red Army this year is a day of joint celebration for people all
over the world. We Chinese people will celebrate this day with even greater
enthusiasm, for the Red Army became a loyal supporter of the cause of liberation
of the Chinese people as early as 1925. Over the five years of the War of
Resistance Against Japan, the Red Army has again offered its greatest
encouragement and assistance, and the main backer of China in its final victory
over Japan is also expected to be the Red Army. Currently, the Red Army is
conducting a successful counterattack against Hitler, whose army, though yet to
retreat from all Soviet territories, is close to the day of total collapse. There is a
danger in the near future that the Japanese Fascists will attack the Soviet Union,
and the Red Army must be prepared to fight enemies on two fronts. But we are

absolutely convinced that should the Japanese Fascists dare to undertake such an
adventure, they will certainly be defeated. Many factors enable us to predict that
Hitler will be vanquished within a year, and the Japanese Fascists will be
defeated within two years. These factors consist of all the anti-Fascist people of
the Soviet Union, Britain, the United States, China, and other countries, and the
Soviet Union is the model for all of them. The history of the Red Army
demonstrates the indisputable truth that only forces linked to the masses are
invincible forces. The task of people of all China and of the whole world in
celebrating the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Red Army is to propagate and
study this truth and to strengthen the struggle against fascism under its guidance,
so as to win an earlier victory over the Fascists.
Note
Our source is Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 8, pp. 109–10, which is based on the text published in Jiefang ribao on
February 23, 1942.