Opposition to Soviet Control in Hungary 1956

  • USSR was on the winning side of WW2
  • It had three main aims
    • Creating a buffer zone on the west of Russia to protect it from western invasion
    • Spread communism
    • Use resources taken from other countries to rebuild the USSR after the war
  • The USSR gradually established control over Eastern Europe, forming an iron curtain: a line that separated the capitalist western Europe and countries under Soviet control
  • The Soviet-controlled countries were under the economic and military alliances from COMECON and the Warsaw Pact
  • However, opposition began to increase over Eastern Europe


Background Information
  • Hungary was on the losing side of WW2 (the Axis powers)
  • Hungary became part of the Soviet bloc under Soviet control after the war
  • The government was under influence of Moscow and set up a communist state
  • Hungary was part of the Warsaw Pact signed in 1955, a military alliance with the Soviet bloc


Cause of the rebellion in 1956

People were discontent with the communist policies and Soviet influence. Some factors include...

  • Politics
    • The Smallholders Party, working for the rights of Hungarians, won the majority vote in the elections after the war
    • The Soviets did not allow them to form a government and instead let the Hungarian Communist Party form one, even though they only won 17% of the vote
    • The government ran without the people's agreement
  • Repression
    • Media was censored
    • A secret police (the AVH) oppressed the people
    • Russia controlled what schools taught
    • 2,000 were executed and 100,000 imprisoned in the strict communist rule
  • Religion
    • Hungarians were religious, but religion was banned as "dangerous propaanda" under commuist rule
    • A leading Catholic, Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty was torturred in prison after arrest
  • Economy
    • Hungary suffered a lot of damage and needed rebuilding and also had a bad economy after the war
    • Even so, Hungary's resources and food were being taken by Russia
    • Therefore, the quality of life also fell


However, in 1956, the people saw a hope for change. This was because...

  • They thought Eisenhower (the US president) or the United Nations would help them after their speeches
  • Stalin died in 1953, and the new leader Khruschev had not allowed the arrest of 400 political opponents in Hungary
  • Workers in Poland had protested to the Soviets, and compromises were made. This made people in Hungary hope that this would be the same for them


The Events of the Uprising (1956)

October 23:

  • Students in Budapest demand true socialism and a removal of Soviet occupation from Hungary
  • Some were arrested, when other protestors tried to save them, the police fired on the crowd
  • A statue of Stalin was toppled as a gesture of protest


October 24:

  • Russian troops had been sent in to control the riots with tanks around the Parliament building
  • Soviet soldiers guarding key bridges and roads
  • Hungarian soldiers and workers still joined in the student protests
  • Imre Nagy became the new Hungarian Prime Minister appointed by the Hungarian Communist Party
  • He asked Khruschev to remove his troops and promised free and fair elections to the people


October 25:

  • Many protestors gather outside the Parliament building
  • The protestors took over the country
  • Soviet politicians were forced to flee
  • Imre Nagy remained as Prime Minister and promised change


October 28:

  • Khruschev did not want conflict
  • He accepted Imre Nagy's requests and the Russian military backed out from Hungary


October 29 to November 3:

  • Democracy and freedom of speech and religion was introduced
  • Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty (a previously arrested leading Catholic) and other political prisoners were released
  • Nagy announced that Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact
  • Nagy appealed to the United Nations in November 1 to deal with the conflict


November 4:

  • 1,000 Russian tanks entered Budapest and immediately seized control over Hungarian airfields, bridges, junctions, and highways
  • Russian forces overpowered the Hungarian forces and protestors in the fierce fighting
  • Janos Kadar became the new prime minister and promised Nagy and his followers a safe escape from Hungary. However, after 3 weeks, they were kidnapped, tried, and executed for treason


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