Introduction
Joseph Stalin was a political leader of the USSR in the 1940s, and it was during his leadership that the country faced the Second World War. In 1941, Joseph Stalin gave a radio broadcast to the people of the Soviet Union after Germany had invaded the country (Stalin). In this speech, the leader urged all of the citizens to unite against the enemy and fight for freedom and peace. The rhetoric of Stalin was based on appealing to patriotism, hoping to achieve the unity of the citizens by fighting against one enemy.
Discussion
The reader will be able to comprehend Stalin’s overarching message after studying his speech. In order to overcome the tremendous obstacles the war would present, Stalin delivered a stirring appeal to the people of the Soviet Union. He declared that in order to defend “every inch of Soviet soil,” the Russian people must be willing to suffer greatly and make huge sacrifices (Stalin). The Soviet leader urged his compatriots to retain their resolve and indomitable spirits in the face of challenges. Using his propaganda, Stalin exhorted the Soviet people to resist the invader as a single impenetrable bulwark, mustering all their spirit and fortitude to thwart the enemy at every step until ultimate victory was gained. Stalin was certain that the Soviet people would triumph and defeat the enemy due to their unwavering resolve and willingness to bear any burden heroically. Stalin, therefore, anticipated that all civilians would either mobilize to aid the army or make other contributions to the government or troops.
It is evident that in order to make his rhetoric persuasive, Stalin appealed to patriotism. In his speech, he relies on logos and pathos to influence people’s emotions and logic. He uses the evidence that “the enemy is cruel and implacable” and without unity of people, the well-being of the country will be at risk (Stalin). He stressed that the future of the nation now rested in the hands of the citizens themselves and that the “troops are fighting heroically against an enemy armed to the teeth with tanks and aircraft” (Stalin). The leader emphasized that “our whole valiant Red Army, our whole valiant navy, all our falcons of the air, all peoples of our country, all the finest men and women of Europe” must stand united to confront the fascist invaders threatening their country (Stalin). In order to safeguard the successes of socialism and save the USSR from extinction at the hands of the German invaders, Stalin gathered the people under the symbol of the Motherland.
However, there were still logical fallacies and weaknesses in Stalin’s speech. For instance, instead of focusing on the country and its future, the political leader attacks Hitler and Ribbentrop, calling them “treacherous fiends” and “fiends and cannibals” (Stalin). Moreover, Stalin had several off-topic discussions, such as focusing on the fact that the USSR was a “peace-loving State” and it was attacked by the enemy (Stalin). Finally, the weaknesses and logical fallacies of Stalin are that he states the same messages in different sentences. The leader first claims that “the peoples of the Soviet Union must rise against the enemy,” and then he again emphasizes that “the Soviet people must […] mobilize themselves” (Stalin). Therefore, Stalin’s speech’s weakness is that he focuses on one message in different sentences rather than progressing in communication.
Conclusion
Hence, Stalin’s speech was built on invoking patriotism in an effort to bring the masses together in the face of a common foe. The reader will be able to comprehend Stalin’s overarching message after studying his speech. It is clear that Stalin used patriotism in his remarks to sway listeners. He uses the fact that the adversary is ruthless and merciless and that the safety of the nation is in jeopardy to persuade listeners through the use of logos and pathos in his address. Nonetheless, Stalin’s speech still had logical flaws and faults, such as criticizing Hitler and Ribbentrop rather than focusing on the nation and its direction.
Work Cited
Stalin, Joseph. “Radio Broadcast.” Marxist Internet Archive, 1943. Web.