The Hungarian Uprising

• 1. At the end of WW2, the Soviets appointed Matyas Rakosi as a puppet leader of Hungary
• 2. In 1956 the people of Hungary began to protest about their lack of political freedoms, and fuel and food shortages
• 3. In October there were riots in Budapest
• 4. Soviet troops restored order, but allowed the more reformist leader Imre Nagy to replace Rakosi
• 5. Nagy allowed reforms like non-communists to enter government and the release of political prisoners
• 6. On 1 November Nagy said Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact
• 7. Hungary leaving the Warsaw pact was too far for Khrushchev who ordered a Soviet invasion
• 8. On 4 November, 1000 Soviet tanks entered Budapest
• 10. Nagy was replaced by the pro-Soviet Kadar, and in July 1958 Nagy was executed
• Consequently, the US President Eisenhower became sympathetic and some NATO countries took Hungarian refugees
• Consequently, no US military support was offered. This showed that the USA would contain communism but not follow a policy of 'roll back' - it wouldn't help existing communist countries overthrow communism
• Consequently, Khrushchev's position was made stronger
• Consequently, future uprisings in the Warsaw Pact were made less likely, as they knew the West would not help
• Consequently, the USA publicly criticising the invasion made relations between East and West even worse
• 9. When the Hungarian people fought back, 20000 were killed