Hungarian Revolution

• Background:

  • Stalin died in 1953 and was replaced by Nikita Khrushchev.
  • Khrushchev ended Stalin's brutal regime and reformed the USSR.
  • His reforms were misinterpreted by some countries as a chance to end communism.
• In 1956 the people of Hungary staged a revolt against their communist leaders:

  • They forced a change in leadership.  
  • The Communist leader, RAKOSI, was replaced by a moderate, IMRE NAGY.
  • Nagy announced that Hungary would hold all-party elections and would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact.
• Khrushchev did not allow any of Hungary's actions as it would set a bad example to other eastern bloc countries.
• The Russian Army invaded Hungary on the 4th November 1956.

  
  

  30,000 people died in the fighting and 250,000 Hungarians fled the country for the west.

  
  

  Nagy was arrested, taken to Moscow and executed.

  
  

  The people of Hungary felt let down by the west who they had hoped would support their uprising.
• Khrushchev made the impression of relaxation through:

  • Visiting Yugoslavia and apologising for Stalin's harsh treatment of them.
  • Meeting the West in Geneva
  • Condemning Stalin's policies and urging peaceful co existence with the west
  • Started policies of De-Stalinisation and ending Cominform
• Hungarian uprising causes:

  • Patriotism - Hungarians hated soviet control
  • Poverty - most food was sent to USSR
  • Oppression - The Stalinist system harshly controlled their lives
  • Rakosi being replaced after student protests
  • Western aid promised