... The theory of the superpowers makes a qualitative distinction between the countries of the "first world" - the so-called superpowers, U.S. and Soviet Union imperialisms -and those of the "second world". The two superpowers lead the two imperialist blocs and hence are the only powers at the moment capable of leading a world war. This theory leads to underemphasizing the other imperialist powers, the so-called "second world" countries, like France, West Germany, Japan and Great Britain and lowers the vigilance of the peoples of the world against them. Since their defeat in World War II, these powers have long since embarked upon the path of independent development and have entered into rivalry with U.S. imperialism for spheres of influence ...
In conformity with the law of uneven development in capitalist countries, Stalin, already in 1952, in his "Economic Problems of Socialism..." warned against the upcoming revisionist tendencies to absolutize the role of one imperialist power, namely, at that time U.S. imperialism, and said in relation to the powers vanquished or weakened in the Second World War:
"To think that these countries will not try to get on their feet again,will not try to smash the U.S 'regime' and force their way to independent development, is to believe in miracles."
(Ibid., p.34, Peking Ed., 1976)
Further on,he said :
"But it follows from this that the inevitability of wars between capitalist countries remains in force." (Ibid., p.36)
*excerpt from the article "Introducing the Journal "Under the Banner of Marxism-Leninism"" (Under the Banner of Marxism-Leninism, No. 1, November 1984, p. 7)