Hungary 1956

• 1949-1956 Hungary was run by hardline communist Matyas Rakosi
• In june 1956 a group within communist opposed Rakosi
• Khrushchev ordered Rakosi to retire due to 'health reasons'
• After Rakosi, Erno Gero came into power but was also not lkked by hungairans
• After Gero, USSR allowed new government to be formed under Imre Nagy, who was very popular with the public
• In october 1956, USSR troops placed on hungary border started to withdraw and USSR power with replaced with thousands of local councils
• Nagy had plans to reform Hungary to a capitalist democratic country, as well as to withdraw from the 'warsaw pact'
• After Nagy wanted to leave warsaw pact, Khrushchev,in november, sent troops in to budapest. 30 thousand hungarians were killed and 1000 russians killed. 200,000 hungarians fled
• western powers protested confilct in budapest, but couldn't act due to their own confict in suez canal
• After Budapest attacked, Janos Kadar was placed in charge. He was a loyal communist and crushed what was left of the resistance( 35,000 arrested, 300 executed)