Date: March 25, 1949
Source: Македонска Библиотека
Published: Σαράντα χρόνια του KKE 1918-1958 σ 575
Transcription: Mike Bessler
HTML Markup: Y.L. Gorté
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2008). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
The second congress of the National Liberation Front has been convened at a very difficult moment, at a decisive moment. Last night Glüchsburg spoke and said that the situation at the beginning of 1949 was more critical than ever before. This assessment is also an indication of the possibilities available to our people's democratic movement. Hence, the decisions which will be adopted by your congress should signify an even greater contribution of your people to the struggle so that together we can make a decisive turn towards victory as early as this year.
From this paint of view year congress is: 1. a military congress which should reflect the determination of year people is increase their military contribution. Hence, you should mobilize all the forces of the Macedonian people, all their available resources in a steady marsh to victory.
2. Your congress is a congress of unity among the Macedonian people. We know that year organization has in the past years experienced a crisis which had repercussions on the military efforts of the Macedonian people, as well.
Today, the National Liberation Frost has purged its organization ideologically and has laid foundations for firmer unity. Your people regard the future with confidence, knowing that as an outcome of victory they will achieve their emancipation end will independently decide the coarse of their future life. On each a basis the unity of the fraternal people will remain intact.
3. Furthermore, your congress is a congress of complete unity between the Greek end Macedonian people. Erroneous perceptions have been removed since this question was formulated an a proper basis end since the two peoples are striving for common goals. Thus, after the Fifth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece, your congress will ideologically and politically clarify one of the fundamental problems end will strengthen unity. This unity is an indispensable precondition for victory, for if we were to fight separately we would not be able to defeat monarchofascism. This unity must be preserved because it is the basis for victory and because it is the object of our enemy's attack. This unity will secure our victory. However, we should be aware that the path to victory is difficult and that we face net only monarchofascism but also the united international imperialistic reaction, which, embodied in the Americans and the British, provides manifold support with the supply of arms, an air force and the stationing of British forces in our country. In addition, preparations are being made for the sending of American forces. However, in spite of all this, with our unity end our all-out combat we can thwart their plans.
We all knew how great the difficulties ore facing our movement And we should observe them with wide open eyes, because it is the only way to overcome them. These difficulties are great and common to our two peoples.
(Here the speaker made a remark about traitorous actions and then continued:)
The Macedonian people, especially in the Vič region, gave everything they had for the struggle and were truly defeated. They gave their children, their girls and everything they had. This superhuman sacrifice has resulted is hardships which should be overcome. These hardships spring from the war, from the intensity of force. These are the difficulties of war. However, there were other, subjective difficulties, which made the burden even heavier and which compounded ether difficulties. There people gave all they had for the struggle. However, when a tighter or a quartermaster behaves badly with these people, then he is undermining unity. We have witnessed each acts and many of the offenders were condemned, however we could not tied all the culprits. We meat onto these obstacles and consciously overcome them. Only in this way will we be able to strike the warm which the enemy infiltrates to undermine our unity.
People have ether difficulties as well. One at them is the mobilization at young women. All of us understand that we are not in favor of such a thing. It is not right that we should send our girls oft to be amputated. It is neither natural nor humane, however it is a natural measure imposed by the higher interests at our two peoples, it is imperative to our struggle. This measure has caused much misunderstanding which has been shooed by the enemy. However, we mast sacrifice everything in the light for freedom. This is the only way for the Macedonian people to regard the above-mentioned measure. It will give them new courage and hence their pate will be subordinate to the interests of the struggle.
The other difficulties are: hunger, bombardments, poverty, cold, etc. Fatigue has entered into same weak souls and the enemy is striving even more to weaken them farther in order to facilitate oppression.
From this rostrum the Macedonian people should discover some other truths which will assist them in their straggle. Comrade Vurnas spoke a while ago on behalf at the Politbureau of the Central Committee of the Greek Farmers Party about the suffering of the people an Peloponnesus. The entire Greek people suffers no the Macedonian people suffer. The Macedonian people have act yet experienced what the people of Rumelia have suffered. All of you remember the 40 children all children of officers and fighters of the Democratic Army of Greece, the children who were carried by their mothers from one mountain to another, from one gorge to another, and who were caught and slaughtered by the monarchofascists. Today, thousands of children in Rumelia, Thesalia and on the Peloponnesus live in the wilderness in unheard-of difficulties and deprived of everything. We shall not allow such a tragedy to occur here in Vič. Here the people have not experienced such difficulties. Thousands of children were caved and are provided for in the countries of the people's democracy. In this way the Slavic-Macedonian people can be at peace.
As far as the young women are concerned, you should know that thousands of young women from Rumelia and Thesalia are fighting just like your woman here. You could have heard at the conference of the Democratic Women of Greece that 40% of the Democratic Army of Greece in Rumelia are women who did not have the possibility, as they do here, of going home so rather than be killed and raped they have taken up guns and fight. Well, comrades, when we see all of this, we can conclude that just so the two peoples me equal, everyone in Greece is equally molting sacrifices. This is how we should view this question today and how we should explain it to others and thus restrain and isolate who panic and are traitors.
Now I shall say a few words concerning those who undermine unity. Those who flee and desert the struggle and who sop that they will be sold out by the Greeks, those who have, betrayed these people for they can defend their people only with gnus in hand. Those who say that this wash is s lie and for cowards, those who are hiding, like lizards and trying to save their own skins. Those who have abandoned their people say: let someone else go to the devil. These cowards and underminers of unity, who aid monarchofascism should be condemned as deserters and traitors by your congress.
Only a general mobilization of your people will create favorable conditions on that they can be transformed into a decisive factor of victory.
The position of monarchofascism is critical. Those who have not managed to destroy us despite their might daring the past three years cannot understand that today we ore an indestructible wall. Today they are passing through great difficulties. A member at the British parliament, Churchill's former minister far the Mediterranean, MacMillan said: unless we support monarchofascism it will be destroyed in the summer. Sophoulis stated that he would be grateful if the American army came to Greece. In such a situation the monarchofascism are seeking to sane their skins. On basis of such an assessment made by our enemies you must make a further contribution to the common victory. Comrades, we shall win. The past three years have shown that monarchofascism was never in a position to defeat us. These three years distinctly show that we can win, only if we wish to.
When we resumed our resistance, some of our friends, particularly in the West, taught that we were doomed. They saw no future in our struggle. We know the hardships we had to face an the path we have chosen. Nevertheless, we could chaos so other path. These hardships, which were great in the beginning, we can overcome even today. But we must be determined, persevering, and seize the victory from our enemy. Your congress should put a seal on the decisions which will be adopted in that you can be sure that 1949 will be a decisive year for victory.
Just one more decisive factor for the victory of the people's democracy lies in the following: other comrades have also stressed that the camp at the people's democracies is growing stronger while international reaction seeks to devise seen more difficulties for them and hopes to find an outlet in a new war. On our side we have all at progressive mankind. This is evidenced by the moral and material support which we see receiving from the democratic peoples.
The Americans are considering bringing their army to Greece. We are not afraid of this, since people fighting for their freedom are afraid of nothing. They know that all the world's democrats are on their side and hence they are certain at their victory.
Fighting at this prominent position of international democracy as fighters and free sharp-shooters, we have the great mission at destroying monarchofascism.
As the basis for our efforts we shall base our unity as a precondition for success, hence we cannot but win.
Long live the unity of the two peoples!