Read this passage from Joseph Stalin's radio broadcast from July 3, 1947: Is it really true that the German Fascist troops are invincible, as is
ceaselessly trumpeted by boastful Fascist propagandists? Of
course not!
History shows that there are no invincible armies, and never have
been. Napoleon's army was considered invincible, but it was
beaten successively by Russian, English and German Armies.
Kaiser Wilhelm's German Army in the period of the first
imperialist war was also considered invincible, but it was beaten
several times by Russian and Anglo-French troops, and was
finally smashed by Anglo-French forces.
The same must be said of Hitler's German-Fascist Army of today.
This army has not yet met with serious resistance on the
Continent of Europe. Only on our territory has it met serious
resistance, and if as a result of this resistance the finest divisions
of Hitler's German Fascist Army have been defeated by our Red
Army, it means that this army, too, can be smashed and will be
smashed as were the armies of Napoleon and Wilhelm.
Explain the rhetorical situation of Stalin's speech and how he uses rhetoric to
persuade his audience. Support your explanation with examples from the passage
and from the speech's historical context. Finally, make use of terminology from the
content of the unit to describe the speaker's rhetorical techniques.