The Victory of the Red Army had changed the global balance of power increasing the political and military influence of the Soviet Union and its Military Forces.
The world press could not stress enough the importance of the Victory that had become a turning point of the war and the first step on the way to the defeat of the Nazi Germany.
1942—1943
The success of the Red Army’s offensive in 1942-43 and heavy casualties suffered by the Nazi troops had rapidly undermined the economic, military and political image of the Nazi Germany, which led to the drastic change in the world power balance shifting it towards the Allies of World War II. Germany and its satellites found themselves in the midst of a crisis. Italy was on the brink of a military, political and economic disaster and its general public was becoming more and more agitated by the Italian-German alliance. The loss of its position as a leading member of the Axis powers and strong attacks of the Soviet troops only added to the critical situation inside the country and paved the way for the disintegration of the Italian-German Axis.

The change in the situation on the Soviet-German front after the defeat of the Nazi troops and the army of German satellites in Stalingrad had led to the aggravation of the political situation in Hungary and Romania and not only had a great impact on the position of Finland in this war, but also prevented Japan and Turkey from openly going against the Soviet Union.
The result of the defeat of the Nazi troops in Stalingrad was a significant deterioration of the position of Germany on the global stage. It was pushed to the sidelines and the alliance of the fascist states started falling apart.


June 24, 1984.
The Victory on the Volga River had a great impact on the Resistance movements in Europe, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia. Partisans troops were turned into Liberation armies in Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria and patriotic anti-Nazi front in Romania. The partisan movement was also getting stronger in such countries as Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Italy, Norway and Denmark. In Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia and the Northern Italy the partisan movements were winning back large territories that had been occupied by the enemy. The resistance against Japanese occupants was also growing in China, Burma, Indonesia, Malaya and the Philippines.
Thus, the Victory of Stalingrad had a profound impact on both the course of the World War II and the international relations by shifting the global balance of power in favour of the United Nations, facilitating the growth of alliances and bringing the war to an end.
The world leaders of that time spoke highly of the great Victory on the Volga River and praised the heroism of the Soviet people.


29 November 1943
On November 29, 1943 during the Tehran Conference, Winston Churchill declared: “Stalingrad has become a symbol of courage and resilience of the Russian people and at the same time a symbol of the greatest human suffering. This symbol will last for centuries. It is necessary that future generations could see with their own eyes and feel all the greatness of the victory won at the Volga and all the horrors of the extermination war that was raging there”.
General Charles de Gaulle stated: “I would like to pay tribute to Stalingrad and point at the lesson it taught us. Stalingrad is not just a symbol of victory, but it is also a great example of what allies can do, when they unite against Germany. Never again will Germany go against democratic countries”.
13 September 1942
— 31 January 1943
“In the name of the people of the United States of America, I present this scroll to the city of Stalingrad to commemorate our admiration for its gallant defenders whose courage, fortitude, and devotion during the siege of September 13, 1942 to January 31, 1943 will inspire forever the hearts of all free people. Their glorious victory stemmed the tide of invasion and marked the turning point in the war of the Allied Nations against the forces of aggression,” says the Stalingrad scroll sent by Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America.

Люди мира о Сталинграде
Георг VI, король Великобритании

Уинстон Черчилль, премьер-министр Великобритании

Клементина Черчилль, президент «Фонда помощи России»

Франклин Рузвельт, президент США

Мао Цзэдун, политический и государственный деятель Китая, создатель Китайской народной республики

Иосип Броз Тито, президент Югославии

Фидель Кастро, премьер-министр Революционного правительства Республики Куба

CHARLES DE GAULLE
Charles de Gaulle was a well-known French army officer and statesman. While he was in exile, de Gaulle became a leader of the Free France movement, which joined the Allies of the World War II. In June 1944 he became head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. In December 1944 Charles de Gaulle paid an official visit to the USSR and signed the bilateral Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance with the USSR.
In June 1966 he paid another visit to our country and established bilateral space relations with the Soviet Union by signing the Agreement on the Space Exploration and Development as well as the Agreement on the economic and scientific cooperation between France and the USSR.
During his visits to the USSR in 1944 and 1966 Charles de Gaulle also visited Stalingrad-Volgograd. During his visit in 1944 he presented the citizens with a gift from the city of Dijon and one of the main symbols of France – the helmeted Marianne depicted on a bronze plate with an inscription: “To Stalingrad with grateful thanks from France”. In his speech Charles de Gaulle said: “I would like to pay tribute to Stalingrad and point at the lesson it taught us. The fighting French nation sends the warmest greetings to the hero city of Stalingrad, the symbol of our victories over the enemy”. In 1966 de Gaulle could already admire the city resurrected from ruins.

Франсуа Миттеран, президент Франции

DOLORES IBÁRRURI
Dolores Ibárruri was one of the leaders of the Spanish and international Labour movement. During the World War II she was a prominent member of the international antifascism movement. Her son, Rubén, a 22-years old hero of the Soviet Union, died in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942. Since she was one of the founders of the Women’s International Democratic Federation (1945) she was also a part of the international women’s movement. Dolores Ibárruri was a laureate of the International Lenin Prize for Strengthening Peace Among Peoples and awarded an Order of Lenin medal as well as a number of other medals of the USSR.
While she was living in the USSR (a total of 36 years), Dolores Ibárruri would come every year, on September 2, the day her son died, to Stalingrad-Volgograd to visit her son’s grave in the Alley of Heroes as well as to go to such memorable places as Mamayev Kurgan. During her February visit in the year of 1963 she addressed the People of Stalingrad-Volgograd: “If there is a place in this world, where one finds it difficult to find the right words, it is here, in our beloved Volgograd. Everything about this city touches one’s heart very deeply, its houses resurrected from ruins, plants rebuilt by a sheer willpower of people, its beautiful parks that cover the sites of death and devastation, the Great Volga River that still remembers the tears of mothers, widows and orphans, its sky that lit up the heroic days, when the Soviet Arms defeated the Nazi, but most of all it’s you, the creators and builders of today”.

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
J. Nehru was a famous Indian politician. He became the first Prime Minister of the Independent India (1947) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Under his guidance the government elaborated and implemented the measures aimed at improving the economic, social and cultural development of the country.
J. Nehru was actively maintaining and developing the partnership and friendship between the USSR and India. In 1955 and 1961 he paid two visits to the Soviet Union. During his visit in 1955 the Prime Minister of India also went to Stalingrad among other cities, visited the Museum of the Defence of Tsaritsyn-Stalingrad and left a little note in a guest book, “I came here to pay tribute to the undefeated and victorious Stalingrad”.

HAILE SELASSIE
Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 and led the effort to defend Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-1936. He presided over the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. During his rule he established and strengthened economic, scientific and cultural links between Ethiopia and the USSR.
The Emperor Haile Selassie I visited Stalingrad in 1959 and went to the Museum of the Defence of Tsaritsyn-Stalingrad and even presented the museum with his photo portrait, which he signed in Amharic language.
The shield of honour is exhibited in the 8th hall of the ‘Battle of Stalingrad’ Museum.

HEWLETT JOHNSON
Hewlett Johnson was a well-known British public figure, Dean of Canterbury and Doctor of Theology. During the World War II he was advocating for opening the second front in Europe. He also became one of the first people, who started raising money to help the Soviet Union. In 1948 he became the leader of the Great Britain-USSR Friendship Organisation and had been a member of the World Peace Council ever since the year of 1950.
In 1950s he was visiting the USSR. In July 1951 he came to Stalingrad and made sure to visit the Museum of the Defence of Tsaritsyn-Stalingrad. He also left a little message in the guest book: “The main trunk of Nazi tree was cut down in Stalingrad by the people of Stalingrad. Now it is left for us to destroy all the remains of this old root of evil, one by one, wherever they might appear”.

Уго Чавес, президент Венесуэлы

Цзян Цзэминь, председатель Китайской народной республики

Энн Прингл, посол Великобритании

Пабло Неруда, чилийский поэт, автор поэмы «Песнь о Сталинграде»
Всех фашистов покрыл ты навеки позором,
Уничтожив захватчиков. Так им и надо!
Навсегда смертный приговор конквистадорам
Пишут молнии Сталинграда.
Те, кто реки Италии оскорбили
И, с согласия труса, как на параде,
К водам Сены пришли, остановлены были
Возле русской реки, в Сталинграде.
Те, кто злобно топтали прекрасную Прагу,
Кем была она предана и распята,
На твою, Сталинград, натолкнулись отвагу,
Смерть нашли на земле Сталинграда!
Осквернители статуй, пещер и лазури,
Кем была беспощадно разбита Эллада,
Сами были разбиты решительной бурей.
Где теперь они? Спрашивай у Сталинграда!
Те, кто жгли и крушили испанскую землю
И, сковав ее сердце, ушли воровато,
Наконец, по заслугам расплату приемля,
Догнивают у стен Сталинграда.
Те, кто в тихой Голландии грязью кровавой
Цвет тюльпанов забрызгали прихоти ради, —
Навсегда заклейменные черною славой,
Перегноем легли в Сталинграде.
Те, кто в белые ночи Норвегии выли,
Отравив ледяную весну своим смрадом,
Словно волки, жестокий урок получили,
Стали трупами под Сталинградом.
Слава всем сталинградцам! Да будут священны
Материнских волос побелевшие пряди!
Сыновьям твоим – слава, героям военным,
И младенцам, родившимся в Сталинграде!
Честь и слава уменью твоих командиров,
Комиссара уму и геройству солдата!
Словно новое солнце, сияют над миром
Золотые лучи Сталинграда.
Сохрани для меня, как для верного друга,
Ствол винтовки и лемех крестьянского плуга,
Пусть их в гроб мой положат рядом со мною,
Их и колос, взращенный твоею страной.
Чтобы знали повсюду: я был твоим братом
И любил тебя крепкой и верной любовью,
И, хотя не сражался я рядом с тобою,
В честь тебя поднимаю я, как гранату,
Эту песню любви к Сталинграду!
Перевод Е. Долматовского
