▁of ▁the ▁fasc ists : ▁" I ▁would ▁like ▁to ▁raise ▁a ▁to ast ▁to ▁the ▁health ▁of ▁our ▁Soviet ▁people ▁and , ▁before ▁all , ▁the ▁Russian ▁people . ▁I ▁drink , ▁before ▁all , ▁to ▁the ▁health ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁people , ▁because ▁in ▁this ▁war ▁they ▁earned ▁general ▁recognition ▁as ▁the ▁leading ▁force ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁among ▁all ▁the ▁national ities ▁of ▁our ▁country ... ▁ ▁And ▁this ▁trust ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Government ▁was ▁the ▁decis ive ▁strength , ▁which ▁secured ▁the ▁historic ▁victory ▁over ▁the ▁enemy ▁of ▁human ity ▁– ▁over ▁fasc ism ..." ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁resulted ▁in ▁enorm ous ▁destruction ▁of ▁infrastr ucture ▁and ▁populations ▁throughout ▁E uras ia , ▁from ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁to ▁the ▁Pacific ▁o ce ans , ▁with ▁almost ▁no ▁country ▁left ▁un sc athed . ▁The ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁was ▁especially ▁dev ast ated ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁mass ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁industrial ▁base ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁built ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁The ▁USS R ▁also ▁experienced ▁a ▁major ▁fam ine ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 – 4 8 ▁due ▁to ▁war ▁dev ast ation ▁that ▁cost ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 ▁to ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁lives ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁secondary ▁population ▁losses ▁due ▁to ▁reduced ▁fert ility . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁recovered ▁its ▁production ▁capabilities ▁and ▁over c ame ▁pre - war ▁capabilities , ▁becoming ▁the ▁country ▁with ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁land ▁army ▁in ▁history ▁by ▁the