The Hungarian Revolution of 1956

(23 October 1956 – 11 November 1956)

Background

The Hungarian Revolution was a nationwide protest opposing the Soviet Union’s control of the Hungarian People’s Republic after the death of Soviet premier Joseph Stalin.

Cause Of The Hungarian Revolution

The people of Hungary had lost faith in communism because, for all that the system depended on equality and fairness, their reality could not be farther from the truth. The Soviet Union was experiencing an economic crisis; agriculture and industry were no longer efficient, and corruption was rampant — while Party members and influential people lived in luxury, workers and average civilians lived in poverty. As a result, thousands (students, workers, and Hungarian soldiers) took to the street to protest against Rakusi — the former communist party leader — and demanded the formation of a democratic government.

In response, the Soviets appointed Imre Nagy (a well-respected popular leader) as the leader of a newly formed government. However, this was not to last as, after Nagy promised reforms and declared that Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact — an alliance formed as a counterbalance to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) — Soviet troops and tanks rolled into Budapest to stop the revolution. The Soviet Union was not about to allow that as it would destroy the Soviet bloc (the communist countries aligned with the USSR) unity.

Aftermath

Though Nagy sought asylum in Budapest, he was captured and executed two years later, in 1958. Additionally, the violent actions of the Soviet Union resulted in the estimated death of 2500 Hungarians and thousands fleeing.

Substantial economic unrest continued for months after the revolution, but the new Soviet-installed government was able to suppress all public opposition eventually, thereby strengthening the Soviet’s control over Europe.

Bibliography

“Hungarian Revolution.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zghnqhv/revision/3.
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https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/this-day-in-history/soviets-put-brutalend-to-hungarian-revolution.
“Hungarian Revolution of 1956.” New World Encyclopedia,
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1956.
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