Hungarian Revolution of 1956

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a big fight by people in Hungary against the government that was controlled by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It started on October 23, 1956, when university students in Budapest wanted changes to make their country freer. They tried to speak on the radio to share their ideas, but things turned violent, and many people got very upset.

Because of this, groups of ordinary people formed militias to protect themselves and fight back. They took control of many places and set up new leaders to run the country. One of these leaders, Imre Nagy, said Hungary would leave an army group called the Warsaw Pact and have free elections.

But on November 4, 1956, the Soviet Army sent in tanks and troops to stop the revolution. The fighting continued for a little while, and many people were hurt or had to leave their homes. Even though the revolution didn’t succeed, it showed how much the Hungarian people wanted freedom and change.

Background

Second World War

During the Second World War (1939–1945), the Kingdom of Hungary was allied with Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the Kingdom of Romania, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria. In 1941, Hungarian forces helped Germany invade Yugoslavia and the USSR. By 1944, the Soviet Red Army was moving into Hungary after pushing back Hungarian and German forces.

Hungary tried to stop the fighting and make peace, but Germany stopped them. Germany took control of Hungary and kept it fighting until 1945 when Soviet forces took over.

Soviet occupation

After the war, Hungary was controlled by the Soviet Union. Hungary had elections in 1945, but the Soviet-backed Hungarian Communist Party used unfair methods to take control. They used secret police to scare and arrest people who opposed them. By 1949, they had taken full control and made Hungary a socialist state, following the Soviet model. They took control of factories and resources and made life harder for many people.

Stalinist Hungary

Hungary was ruled by Mátyás Rákosi, a strict follower of Soviet leader Stalin. He used secret police to arrest and punish thousands of people who disagreed with him. He also took away homes from many people and sent others to harsh labor camps. Schools were changed to teach only about communism and the Russian language.

Economic decline

In the early 1950s, while some parts of the economy grew, people's living standards fell because the government spent money on building industry instead of helping ordinary people. There were shortages of food and everyday goods because of poor planning. By 1952, people had less money to spend than they did before the war. Hungary also had to pay large amounts of money to the Soviet Union and other countries as war payments, which made things even harder.

International events

De–Stalinization

In 1953, after Stalin died, the Soviet Union began to loosen some of its strict rules. This led to changes in Hungary too. A new leader, Imre Nagy, tried to make changes, but was removed from power by the Soviets in 1955. In 1956, Soviet leader Khrushchev spoke out against Stalin's harsh methods, which encouraged people in Hungary and other Eastern European countries to hope for more freedom.

The establishing of the Warsaw Pact

In May 1955, the Soviet Union and several other Eastern European countries, including Hungary, formed the Warsaw Pact, a defense agreement. Around the same time, Austria became a neutral country, which gave hope to Hungary that it might also become neutral. In Poland, workers had risen up against the government, and after negotiations, the Polish government made some concessions. These events inspired Hungarians to also demand changes from their government.

Uprising and Revolution

On October 13, 1956, students at universities in Szeged formed a new student union, which had been banned before. They shared their ideas with others at Pécs, Miskolc, and Sopron.

Peaceful protests began on October 23 in Budapest. Students shared their demands, and a crowd gathered to hear speeches calling for Hungary’s independence from foreign powers. The protest turned violent when police fired at the crowd outside a radio building.

Soviet troops moved into Budapest on October 24 to control the protests. Fighting continued between Hungarian revolutionaries and Soviet forces. During this time, many people took over local governments and stopped following old communist rules.

From October 28 to November 4, fighting stopped as many thought Soviet troops were leaving Hungary. The new government led by Imre Nagy asked for peace and promised changes. However, Soviet forces returned and crushed the revolution by November 7.

Soviet invasion

In early November 1956, leaders in Hungary reported that Soviet forces were moving into the country towards Budapest. They asked for help to protect Hungary’s neutrality but were misled by Soviet promises.

By November 3rd, Soviet troops surrounded Budapest. On November 4th, Soviet tanks attacked the city, splitting it in two. Fighting continued for several days, with Hungarian defenders holding out in parts of Budapest and nearby areas. The Soviet forces used tanks and aircraft to overcome the resistance. Many people were hurt or killed during the fighting, and Budapest suffered heavy damage.

Aftermath

Hungary

After the uprising, many thousands of Hungarians were arrested. About 26,000 faced trials, and over 22,000 were sent to prison. Some 13,000 were kept in internment camps, and 229 were executed. Around 200,000 people left Hungary, becoming refugees. Many settled in Austria during the winter of 1956, where they received help from international groups like CARE, which provided supplies such as clothes, tools, school items, food, and water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture helped transport supplies to Austria for these refugees. Hungarian refugees resettled in 37 different countries, with most going to Austria.

By November 8, Soviet forces had control of most of Budapest. János Kádár became the new leader of Hungary. Many people did not rejoin the government party, which had been greatly reduced. Kádár worked to gain support by supporting Hungarian self-determination, but Soviet troops stayed in the country. The Soviet Union increased its troops in Hungary and kept them there permanently.

Refugee camps were set up in Austria, and some leaders of the uprising took shelter in the Yugoslavian Embassy. Despite promises of safe passage, they were arrested and taken to Romania. Some died while in prison. Others were returned to Budapest in 1958 and executed after secret trials. Cardinal Mindszenty, a leader of the Catholic Church, was allowed to stay in safety at the U.S. Embassy for many years before leaving for Austria in 1971.

International

Even though Western countries talked about opposing Soviet control, the failure of the Hungarian Revolution showed that the Cold War had reached a stalemate in Europe.

In West Germany, leaders advised people against taking actions that might bring serious trouble. Some leaders in Western countries made harsh comments about the uprising. The United Nations created a special committee to look into what happened in Hungary. The committee talked to many refugees and reviewed many documents. The committee reported that the Soviet actions violated human rights, but no further action was taken.

_Time* magazine named the Hungarian freedom fighter its "Man of the Year" for 1956. At the 1956 Summer Olympics, some countries boycotted the games because of the Soviet actions in Hungary. A very rough water polo match between Soviet and Hungarian teams became famous.

Commemoration and legacy

In the United States, communities built statues and parks to remember the Hungarian freedom fighters. In Hungary, the revolution was not talked about for many years. But after the 1980s, people began studying and discussing it more. October 23 became a national holiday in Hungary. In 1989, the body of a key leader was reburied with honors. In 1991, leaders from the former Soviet Union apologized for the actions taken in 1956. In 2000, a law was passed to clear the names of those convicted for their part in the revolution. In 2006, leaders from the United States visited Hungary to mark the 50th anniversary of the uprising.